Shop owner Muskesh Patel had to wait nearly five days to have a hole dug by Yorkshire Water filled in - even though it was blocking in his car.

Mr Patel, 39, keeps his prized Mercedes car in a garage next to the Bierley Mini Market he runs in Dawson Lane, Dudley Hill.

But when he went to drive it last Thursday he found that a large hole dug by Yorkshire Water contractors had blocked it in. And that's where the car remained until late last night.

Mr Patel said he first phoned Yorkshire Water on a helpline number the morning the digging started. A card had been pushed through his door telling him work would start sometime between 10am and 2pm to repair a leaking stopcock.

The voice at the other end of the phone assured him the hole would have a steel plate put over it.

But that never happened. And Mr Patel says he phoned the company three times on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but the gaping hole remained uncovered.

A Telegraph & Argus reporter went to see the hole at 11am yesterday and afterwards contacted Yorkshire Water. A spokesman said the company was sorry for any inconvenience and an advisor would investigate as soon as possible and decide what action should be taken.

We rang Mr Patel to tell him the news and a T&A photographer took a picture of his dilemma at about 2pm. About eight hours later contractors arrived and filled the hole in by 10.15pm.

Mr Patel said: "Fortunately we've got an old Volvo which we use to collect deliveries and we've been using that to get our two children to school. But I had to get a lift from a friend to a wedding in Preston.''

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: "We have two records of complaints to us by Mr Patel. The points that were being made were about access to the shop for unloading. We have no record about a vehicle being trapped."

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