URGENT repairs are being carried out by council engineers after efforts to trace the owners of unsafe wall drew a blank.

Contractors have been deployed by Calderdale Council to shore up a retaining wall near Copperas House Terrace in Walsden, near Todmorden.

Around 20 metres of the near five-metre high wall collapsed into Walsden Water last October, close to nearby homes.

High levels of rainfall have put neighbouring houses at risk but council engineering chiefs have so far failed to trace those responsible for the wall’s upkeep.

Coun Barry Collins said: “We can only begin to imagine how worried the residents in these houses have been following the collapse of the retaining wall.

“No-one could be found who is responsible for the upkeep of the wall. It’s highly likely that if we had done nothing the houses could have suffered long term to serious damage.

“While there is no responsibility on the council to do this work, we simply had to act to do the right thing.”