INVESTIGATORS are still probing the Bolton "water crisis" four months after 18,000 homes were left high and dry.

Bosses at United Utilities pulled out of a town hall grilling four weeks after the homes were left without running water for more than 24 hours — saying that they did not want to comment before they had carried out their own investigation.

But it has now emerged that the Drinking Water Inspectorate is still looking into the July crisis and cannot say when its inquiry will be complete.

The delay has been branded as scandalous by the councillor who initially called for water chiefs to be hauled before Bolton Council's environmental scrutiny committee.

Cllr Walsh said the wait for information has gone on for “far too long”.

He said: “It is a scandal that so many people were left without water and that we still haven’t had any answers.

“The council needs to be putting pressure on the Drinking Water Inspectorate to come to a speedy resolution and I will be asking for the authority to write to them on this matter.

“The public deserve to know both about the reasons why the water was cut off but also what safeguards are being put in place to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again and they are so far being kept in the dark.

“The people of Bolton pay for their utilities and so they should be given this information sooner rather than later.”

Problems with Bolton's water supply began at the Sweetloves Water Treatment Works on Monday, July 20.

More than 18,000 homes in the borough were left without safe, running water for more than 24 hours.

Supplies started to return from Tuesday, July 21 but all the homes affected were advised to boil any water before consuming it until the all clear was given at the end of the week.

Thousands of residents were affected for up to five days after the original cut-off.

During the shortage United Utilities distributed thousands of bottles of water across the borough and scores of local people did their bit to help vulnerable people who were affected.

United Utilities have since sent out cheques to those customers who were left without water.

The overall bill was expected to run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

After initially agreeing to appear before the council’s environmental services scrutiny committee, United Utilities pulled out for fears of compromising the ongoing investigation.

A spokesman for the Drinking Water Inspectorate said: “Our investigation into the incident in Bolton is ongoing and we cannot give any details as to when it will be completed at the current time.”

A United Utilities spokesman said: “The Drinking Water Inspectorate is still conducting its investigation.

"Until this is complete we can’t speak publicly about this issue, or speculate to what the cause may have been.

"Once the report is made public, we will be happy to meet with representatives from Bolton Council to discuss this matter.”