COUNCILLORS have slammed Thames Water for failing to carry out projects effectively and have called for company leaders to communicate with the authority.

Emergency repairs and upgrades have caused substantial delays throughout the town and Reading Borough Council voted to write to Thames Water to air their frustration.

Councillor Debs Absolom, a member of the Traffic Management Sub-Committee, raised her concerns at full council on October 17 after receiving a wave of complaints from residents about the delays, including a six-week project on Wilson Road and repairs on Bath Road.

She said: "Sites are frequently untouched at weekends, no doubt to save money on wages and this is all at the cost and inconvenience of residents.

"I have received so many complaints because of the disruptions. The utility companies have taken a long time to complete the roadworks.

"They need to create better timeframes and improve communication with the council.

"We understand that Thames Water need to carry out both emergency repairs and planned upgrades, but this council believes this work could be better coordinated and communicated to the public."

Repairs on Bath Road resulted in significant delays to rush-hour journeys while Thames Water waited for a specialist part to arrive from overseas.

Commuters were left frustrated by the temporary traffic lights, while engineers considered filling the hole, but it was deemed unsafe to do so.

Work finished on October 13 after several weeks of disruptions and the company apologised.

Councillor Rachel Eden echoed the concerns of Cllr Absolom and described the constant delays as 'a running joke'.

She added: "It is vital that utility companies are publicly accountable. We have seen time and time again the diabolical state of this monopolistic industry."

A spokesman for Thames Water added: “We are carrying out several crucial projects around Reading, to make the water and sewer network more resilient for now and future generations.

"Each site’s working hours and timeframes are defined by the complexity of each job and individual permit agreements, which have been approved in each case by the council.

“We work very closely with the council and are in regular contact regarding our works. Until now, we have not been made aware of any complaint from councillors.

“We are sorry to those affected by the roadworks, and we are working hard to complete all of the jobs on time.”