GAS company Transco has hit back at claims that it is to blame for delays to vital flood defence work.

Residents of Norton, in North Yorkshire, were sent letters last week explaining why work had yet to be completed on the Mill Beck pumping station.

Local people had blamed Transco for the slow progress on the scheme, but the firm has insisted it is doing all it can.

But the gas giant said Railtrack had demanded technical reports because a pipeline was too close to a signal box in the area.

A Transco spokesman said: "They asked us to produce an independent engineers' report before work could resume.

"This is a very specialist document and we had to employ an independent structural engineer to carry out the analysis, which took some time. This report was submitted to Railtrack on August 1 to approve.

"This is the first time we have ever been asked to produce an independent engineering report in this way. It is a very technical document to investigate how excavation work can affect ground movement near the railway line.

"However, we were not made aware that Railtrack required this report until after the work had started, despite previous problems in the past with the signal box."

A Railtrack spokesman said: "We are working very closely with Transco. The work has the potential to affect the stability of the railway line. We are still awaiting information on their methods of working, such as tools and mitigation methods. As soon as we get that, we can progress."