FRUSTRATED residents say building work that was supposed to take no more than eight weeks shows no signs of ending five months later.

Robert Smith had joked with Worcester Community Housing that the work “had better not carry on until Christmas” when he was told six to eight weeks of renovations would be carried out on his home in August.

Little did the 49-year-old know that his jest would turn into reality, leaving Mr Smith and other residents in Mersey Road and Calder Road, Ronkswood, wondering whether it would ever come to an end. Mr Smith said he had asked WCH why the work was taking so long and what the hold-up was but said they had been unable to give him any answers.

“They told us they would be finished by mid-October because they couldn’t do the work through the winter. But it is now February and we have been in the same situation week on week,” he said. “Workmen will turn up one day, may only stay half an hour or so then come back another day and do something else.”

The homes are system-built British Iron and Steel Federation houses and were among 36,000 created across the country to address a post Second World War housing shortage. Mr Smith said a man living in Calder Road had asked him to sign a petition asking for compensation for the building works which had been carried out to replace cladding on the steel-framed homes.

Last week, scaffolding was removed from outside Mr Smith’s home but he said his garden had been left ruined and a big section had been taken out of his hedge. “We’ve had no real answers. I asked WCH to keep in touch and let us know what’s going on but I can’t get answers.”

Bill Tebay, property services director said: “Work is currently behind schedule for a number of reasons including the discovery of unexpected additional works and, of course, the extreme weather conditions we have recently experienced.

“We totally understand and share the frustrations that the delays have caused but can reassure everyone involved that the work will be worth the wait.”