Southern Water started work in March on the scheme to upgrade the sewer and wastewater pumping station in Harbour Way.

But five weeks into the 21-week project, engineers on Kingston Beach found difficult ground conditions forced them to stop work. Now it is likely that it won't start again until September.

Southern Water said it needed to upgrade the main sewer because existing pipes can't cope with 300 new homes which have been built off Harbour Way in the last two years.

The scheme involved laying more than 1,000 metres of new sewer pipe by drilling a tunnel under the harbour between the sailing club, lighthouse and the A259 Brighton Road as well as upgrading the pumping station in Harbour Way to cope with the increased flows.

Last April residents had to put up with sewage spilled out on to the street after a main pipe burst in Riverside Road and fed-up locals in Harbour Way have been complaining about the road's pot-holed state for months.

Southern Water said Harbour Way would be resurfaced once the sewage works scheme was completed.

Shoreham Beach Residents' Association John Bradshaw said: "We have had so many starting dates given over the last year for this work to start and now we hear this news. One wonders whether Southern Water are an organisation or a joke."

David Cleaver, of The Moorings, off Harbour Way, who has been campaigning for 18 months to get Harbour Way re-surfaced, said: "What a surprise - Harbour Way suffers yet another setback.

"There must be dozens of professional engineering boffins involved in the whole sorry project to upgrade the sewerage system at the east end of Harbour way.

"Why is it then that none of them could foresee whatever hiccough has occurred preventing the work to continue? It's safe to presume this debacle will continue into next year.

"No other road in any county would be permitted to remain in such an appalling condition for such a great length of time without causing uproar."
A Southern Water spokeswoman said: "Engineering problems caused by difficult ground conditions under the harbour have forced us to stop work. We have removed our compound while these difficulties are evaluated.

"It is anticipated the work will not start again until September but that will depend upon discussions currently underway.

"Letters explaining the situation have been sent to residents living nearby and when a solution is agreed and a restart date known, we will inform them in advance of returning to site.

"We would like to apologise for the delay in progressing the scheme. It is regrettable but necessary in order for an engineering solution to be found."

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