A construction boss claims a leaky Works and Engineering pipe has caused a landslide on his building site.

Gladstone Headlam, of Sunrise Construction, said the pipe was overflowing onto his property on Palm Valley Road, Southampton, delaying work and causing the project to run over budget.

Mr. Headlam and his team started building three apartments on the land earlier this summer but soon realised there was a problem.

He said: "We noticed that there was a pipe running from the drain on the main road. What's happening is that when the drain becomes flooded, the water flow would come out of the pipe."

Heavy rain over the last two months has worsened the situation, he said, with the overflow causing three large containers to shift their position.

"It's all sand on the site," he said. "The water has made a landslide. Right now, we have some guys up there trying to help us to see if we can secure the containers. It's an emergency because of the landslide and the more rain we get it will be getting worse."

Mr. Headlam said the leak was likely to put the development back by months and that it would cost him thousands of dollars to rectify the problem.

He claimed he asked the Ministry of Works and Engineering to fix the pipe to no avail. "When they first came they asked us to cut the pipe. Cutting the pipe didn't stop water getting on the land."

He said an official visited the property again on Friday but he has heard nothing since about whether the pipe is to be mended.

Mr. Headlam added: "I need someone to let me understand how this damage is going to be taken care of. They [Works and Engineering] need to solve the problem. It's their problem.

"I don't think there is any way you should be taking water from the main road and putting it on private property."

A Works and Engineering spokesperson last night said a recent investigation by technical officers found flooding at the site during heavy rainfall.

"The storm drain located on the lower level of Palm Valley Road has been removed by unknown persons, exacerbating flooding during periods of heavy rainfall," the spokesperson stated. "The Ministry is currently developing a scheme to redirect the surface water runoff to an adjacent borehole on Palm Valley Road, thereby alleviating the flooding in the area.

"The Ministry asks that any contractors who undertake works near road drainage structures, either on a public or a private road, avoid disruption to the system or, when disruption is likely, contact a Ministry representative to determine appropriate modifications to the system. The Ministry advises that this work will be completed by the end of November and apologises to the residents of Palm Valley Road for any inconvenience experienced during the interim."