RESIDENTS are seething after no one warned them about the replacement of an asbestos pipeline outside their York homes.

The engineering giant Transco has also been rapped by council officials for its "inadequate" safety measures while working along Eason View, in Dringhouses.

A 15-year-old boy is said to have injured his leg after crashing into a two-foot pipeline ditch while riding his bike at night.

Another resident was believed to have fallen in during the early hours.

Resident Dave Appleton, 44, whose son, Lee, fell off the cycle, claimed residents should also have been warned about the asbestos piping.

"It's an absolute disgrace," he said.

"We had a right to know it was right outside our house - who knows how dangerous it is?

"The whole operation has been a complete mess.

"The protective barriers surrounding the ditches were not visible at night and on the floor most of the time.

"My son could have broken his neck."

A spokesman for Transco said engineers were working on a ten-week programme to replace 700 metres of asbestos gas pipeline in Eason View, Swale Avenue and Leeside.

He reassured residents that it posed "no safety threat" to the public.

"We implement a rigorous safety process when identifying an asbestos gas main," he said.

"It is decommissioned before being replaced.

"The pipeline is only dangerous when cut and as it would never be exposed in the street we saw no need to inform the general public.

"We also recognise there have been some problems with the barriers and apologise for that.

"The situation was not helped by the recent strong winds."

Damon Copperthwaite, City of York Council's head of highway infastructure, said: "We've not been satisfied with the performance of Transco in Eason View.

"We've made daily visits to inspect the work and issued several notices concerning the safety barriers.

"The company has not achieved the necessary standards and we will continue to monitor it."

Updated: 10:57 Friday, March 01, 2002