PEOPLE living in a Swanmore street say they are prepared to pay civic chiefs £60,000 to defuse a "time bomb ticking under their homes".

The diggers have moved into Crofton Way after 15 residents were warned that their homes were sitting above a damaged sewer.

With a collective bill for repairing the private sewer topping £60,000, they were unprepared to take the repair project on themselves.

Instead Winchester City Council served a notice on the neighbours saying it would do the work and then bill them for it at a cost of £4,000 a household.

The residents of Crofton Way will probably not be alone in having to pay for emergency sewer repairs, the council's housing supremo has revealed.

At a Cabinet meeting, Winchester's director of housing Bob Merrett warned the problem is likely to be more widespread than previously thought.

Mr Merrett said that the majority of properties were connected to a private sewer of some sort before they connected to a public sewer, often some distance away.

"The repair of private sewers is cropping up more and more often," he said.

"In many cases the private sewers run under paths, gardens and buildings. When it comes to repair, if it involves excavation then sometimes it can be complicated, very disruptive and expensive.

"In between their house drain and the public sewer, the householder is potentially liable for all or a share of the cost of any repairs."

It is not the first time this year that waste systems have caused a problem in the area.

Pensioners Roy and Nancy Buckner could only watch as their patio, shed, garage and most of their back garden disappeared into a 20ft long hole that opened up when the lid of a septic tank gave way in nearby Forest Gardens, Waltham Chase.

They were left with a £100,000 repair bill while Winchester City Council chiefs had to check drains and sewers in the area to find out whether any other homes were at risk.

The private sewer to houses in Crofton Way, Swanmore, has had repeated blockages, and camera surveys revealed a number of defects along the length of the pipe, including a collapse and pipe cracking.

To remedy the situation, the council served notice on all 15 properties, asking them to repair or replace the 30-year-old sewer.

Nothing was done and the council has the power to carry out the works in default and charge the property owners. Residents attended a public meeting last month and asked the council to carry out the work on their behalf and bill them.

Resident Margaret Torrance said she was happy the work was finally being done.

"We knew it was unadopted but we did not know it would cause a problem. I think the residents have accepted it's got to be done. Because it is such a major job we did not feel we could take on the responsibility ourselves."

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "The problem seems to have been getting worse so it's good something is being done about it. We are prepared to pay for it."

Work is expected to last five weeks.