RUNNING water which is believed to originate from a natural spring, is creating a slippery hazard at the back of Marden House in Calne

Staff and residents fear it won't be long before there is an accident.

Initially the Marden House management committee thought the water, which runs across the car park at the back of the building, was coming from a burst pipe, but now it is convinced the source is a nearby natural spring.

The water flows in rivulets at the back of Marden House, in Patford Street, which leads to a path used by elderly and disabled people who attend the nearby Mill Race Day Centre.

It has been a problem for three or four years, but it has become progressively worse since last September.

The source of the water appears to come from a strip of earth sandwiched between the back of the hardstanding car park and a steep bank.

Marden House committee leases the building and the car park from North Wiltshire District Council, but although it approached the council, the water board, the Environment Agency, Wiltshire County Council's Highways department and the Environment Agency about its concerns, none of them have taken responsibility for the hazard.

The district council's parks department told the committee it was probably responsible, but had no money in its budget to deal with the problem.

A couple of people have slipped but none have needed medical attention.

The secretary of the committee, Audrey Forrest, said: "We're very lucky it's only been minor incidents, but more through luck than judgement.

"It's a grey area and it's not clear who is responsible and from what budget the money would come from."

Treasurer of the committee, Terry Thornton, said: "My main concern is that someone will slip and there will be a big claim against the district council.

"It's a danger to the many elderly people who walk through here.

"It's not just surface water. It runs in there throughout the year, even in the driest weather.

"It's frustrating that we can't sort it out because a lot of people use the centre, including flower arrangers, porters, elderly people and physically and mentally handicapped people who use the Mill Race Centre."

The manager of the Mill Race Day Centre, Anita Simes, said: "When the very cold weather was here it was like sheet ice on the car park.

"Cars got stuck, they couldn't turn around and we had to push them out.

"I said then if something isn't done someone is going to fall and badly hurt themselves. It's really dodgy."

Mr Thornton said the strip of land between the car park and the bank used to be hard, but it was now sodden.

He said he drove on to the wet ground when he was attempting to reverse a minibus and one of the rear tyres became embedded in the sodden earth.

He had to use a tractor to pull the minibus out.

Resident Lisa Freeman's home backs on to the car park and is next to the strip of land where the water appears to come from.

Mrs Freeman, 61, said: "Last year my neighbour and I built a small dam from earth and stones to try and divert the flow of water, because it was getting to the stage when we had to cross a stream to get from our back gardens into the car park," she said.

"It's affecting the house because it's obviously got into the foundations."