CONFUSION surrounding a stretch of riverbank on the River Severn, which collapsed last June, has hindered progress on it being repaired.

Part of the wall holding up the bank by the Diglis House Hotel in Worcester fell down after a storm at the end of June last year.

Now, more than six months on, legal experts have still yet to establish the owner.

And, a consultation exercise which started in October to establish the cause has now also been put on hold by Worcester City Council.

Andy Walford, Worcestershire highways partnership manager for Worcester, said the project was stopped in December after it was revealed Severn Trent was also undertaking research work on site.

He said: "We've sent a letter to Severn Trent and, at the moment, I'm waiting for a response from them to find out what they're intending to do there.

"It's silly for one party to be doing something and not be talking to someone else with a vested interest in the area.

"I'm frustrated it's taken us this length of time to get where we've got to, but unfortunately, this is one of the difficulties when you can't find out who's the owner of a particular piece of property."

Residents of nearby Diglis Avenue had previously expressed concern about the situation worsening.

But Mr Walford said the wall was in no further danger of collapse as there is another wall behind it.

However, he added that they hoped to have the situation resolved before the tourist season started. He said it was too early to say who would foot the bill.

A metal fence has been erected on the footpath above the collapsed wall to keep people away from the affected part of the riverbank.

Severn Trent spokesman Ben Smallman said they were investigating but added the wall was not owned by them.

He added: "We're looking into it at the moment. However, we're still at the early stages with what we're doing but are keen to find a solution to the problem."

The wall is beside a stretch of the riverbank repaired by Severn Trent Water in 2004 after a surge in the sewers caused a pipe to burst the bank.