RESIDENTS in Helmsley are concerned that the town could be left without power after the recent wet weather left an electricity pole standing dangerously close to the edge of a river.

Despite alerting Northern Powergrid to the problem, one resident said that nothing has been done for 18 months, regardless of the river continuing to erode the bank where the pole stands.

The pole, which is in a field just before entering Helmsley, could see the majority of the town left without power if it collapses into the water.

“I first reported it 18 months ago so I’m surprised it has lasted as long as it has. It has moved about three foot in that time, but we can easily lose four foot of bank in a night when we get a flood,” said Helmsley resident Keith Pickering.

Keith said the pole has been reported by the farmer who keeps cattle in the field, but despite numerous complaints, little has been done.

He added: “When I first reported it, an engineer was sent to check it and he said it was very dangerous and needed replacing immediately.

Some engineers came and all they did was put the guy wire into the ground to hold up the pole.”

A spokesman for Northern Powergrid said the firm was aware of the problem but wanted to reassure residents the pole was stable.

“We’ve checked the pole several times and are satisfied that it’s currently secure,” he said. “It does go down some depth underground and there’s no immediate risk of it becoming unstable.”

The company said it was looking into relocating the power line to a more suitable location.