BRADFORD Council has said it’s “working hard to find answers” after a landslide wrought devastation on a street in the district earlier this week.

Residents of Westlea Avenue, Riddlesden, Keighley woke up to water coming down the road and a landslide at the back of some of the houses. Six families had to be evacuated and the back garden of one of the properties was washed away.

The Council said it will “take time to investigate” and said in a statement that people should not go back to their houses until further investigations have taken place.

Jason Longhurst, Strategic Director of Place, said: “This continues to be a very difficult and traumatic situation for the residents involved.

“We are in regular contact with them and will continue to support them.

“This is an ongoing serious and complex issue involving multiple public agencies so it will take time to investigate.

“We are working hard to find answers for the six families affected and other residents nearby who are also worried and concerned.

“The area remains secured and our structural engineers are working with residents and their insurance companies to support them with what happens next.”

He added: “We have advised the people affected that, unfortunately, we believe the houses to be unsafe and should not be re-occupied until further investigations have been completed.”

Sue Patchett, 43, who has lived on Westlea Avenue for almost 15 years and volunteers for River Worth Friends group, said she has got “a lot of questions”.

She said: “We want to know the exact cause as to why our homes are at risk of being lost.

“We want to know where the water that came down our street came from, is it from the canal overflow? From the stream running alongside Riddlesden play area? Some other drains like a surface water drain from elsewhere? Is it the water that feeds East Riddlesden Hall’s lake?

She added that even a “best guess of what will happen” and “an estimate time-frame, even if it’s not a promise” could put people’s minds at ease and stop speculation.

Bradford Council said it understands the significant impact the floods and landslide have had on those who had to leave their homes at short notice.

“We are doing everything we can to support them while they deal with their individual circumstances and insurance companies,” said the local authority.