Mark Parnell, of Diamond Avenue, claims he decided to carry out the work because Ashfield District Council failed to respond to his complaints.

Said Mark: "I have a drain just outside my house and workers installed a open drain running down the path to my blocked drain.

"But what is even more crazy is that the open drain runs the full length of the street and then stops about a foot away from the drain –– meaning that the water runs over the path instead of down the drain.

"In winter it ices over and becomes a real problem for people walking down Diamond Avenue."

But yesterday a council spokesman said that they had not received any calls about this particular area of Diamond Avenue but added: "The Highways Inspector visited the site yesterday morning and reported that the concrete dish channels stop short of the footway gully because the cable companies service box is in the way.

"The tarmac surface has been shaped to run the water into the gully — the water to the right of the gully and on the base of the wall is there because the debris was removed to allow water to reach the gulley.

"The area will be inspected regularly to monitor the gulley cleansing throughout the year."