VILLAGERS have made a plea for help to stop raw sewage seeping into their homes.

People in Close House, near Bishop Auckland, say the drains behind their homes are in such disrepair that they have become a health hazard.

Residents in Gurney Terrace and neighbouring Stanley Street say they have contacted various agencies but had been unable to establish who is responsible for the problem.

Representatives from Northumbrian Water, Wear Valley District Council and Durham County Council have been invited to attend a meeting to solve the problem solved.

The meeting has been called by Dene Valley Parish Council and will be held at the Dene Valley Centre, Close House, next Wednesday, at 6pm.

The residents say the drains are not far enough below the surface and when it rains they overflow.

They also say that the road behind their homes needs re-surfacing to protect the drains.

Bob Breward, who lives in Stanley Street, said: "The bin men bring their wagon up here and it just causes more damage.

"When this road was built it was designed for a horse and cart, not a heavy wagon."

Mr Breward, 71, said that he had filled in pot holes in the road on frequent occasions but it was still not enough to protect the drains from being damaged by traffic.

Chairman of Dene Valley Parish Council, Councillor Chris Foote Wood, said the main drain running down the lanet behind the houses belonged to Northumbrian Water.

He said: "It is quite clear that these drains are completely inadequate and need to be replaced.''

But a spokeswoman for Northumbrian Water said the company was not aware that there was a problem with the main sewer and would be sending an engineer out to see what was going wrong.

She said the company would be more than happy to attend the meeting next week, if it was invited