A councillor has threatened legal action to help homeowners who have suffered a decade of flooding.

Residents in St Paul's Avenue, Lancing, whose driveways are regularly submerged with murky water during heavy rain, have been told to expect a £50,000 project to prevent it happening again.

Despite news that an expert is being called in to investigate, it remains unclear whether Adur District Council, West Sussex County Council, Worthing Borough Council or Southern Water should foot the costs of repairs to the drainage system.

Adur Conservative Independent Alliance councillor Andrew McGregor has now threatened to fund legal action against the borough council if action is not taken soon.

He said: "I wrote to the borough council at the beginning of December last year and said if it did not do something to effect repairs, I would fund private actions against it for the cost of the damage done by the floods.

"I do not know if my threat has made any difference because it coincided with the production of a solicitor's report on who is responsible for the flooding.

"Adur and Worthing are supposed to be partnering but it does not seem to be working."

Coun McGregor said he was prepared to pay for a resident to make a claim against the borough council in a small claims court.

If successful, this could pave the way for further action.

Borough council leader Sheila Player confirmed the authority and Southern Water were now considering sharing the costs of repairs.

She said: "The borough council took the decision to do something about it on February 3 and an amount of up to £50,000 is being proposed in the capital programme for 2003/04.

"I am not aware of any threats made by an Adur councillor.

"I would say that, given the complexities of the case and with expert advice not being able to conclude who was at fault, it would have undoubtedly been a costly exercise, the outcome of which is a matter for considerable debate.

"The budget proposed amount is £50,000 for the borough's share of the works. It is hoped that the costs will be considerably less than this."

Councillor Steven Waight, leader of the Tories on the borough, said the problem dated back to the mid-Fifties when Worthing Rural District Council approved plans to build houses, which became St Paul's Avenue.

He said: "As the costs involved are substantial, the borough sought meetings with the other parties in early 2000 and legal advice in April 2002 in order to try to resolve the issue, not only for now but also for the future.

"I am pleased to say all parties have agreed a funding arrangement to allow the current repairs to proceed and have also agreed the apportionment of future maintenance and repair costs."

Lilly Tuck, 82, of St Paul's Avenue, Lancing, has suffered the brunt of the flooding in recent years.

In previous years, her property, near Brooklands Lake, has needed sandbags and pumping equipment to stop water overwhelming her front garden.

She said: "I do not believe they will fix it until it happens because I have heard it so many times before. I'm past being angry."