RESIDENTS left in the lurch after the demolition of a snooker hall are pleading with council bosses for a resolution.

Four-and-a-half-years after the Q Club in Govanhill was knocked down, more than 100 residents and shop owners are still waiting for compensation.

A stand-off between Glasgow City Council and insurers Aviva has caused delays in resolving the situation.

Legal limitations mean owners have five years from the date of the demolition to sue for a pay out - and this time runs out in July.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is now to chair a meeting on Saturday with commercial and residential property owners who hope insurance bosses and council staff will be able to offer them a deal.

Affected owners formed the Victoria Road Action Group to campaign for a solution.

Brian Callander, a member and a shop owner on Victoria Road, said: "We are hopeful that the council and the insurance company will be able to make clear to us at Saturday's meeting what the plans are to resolve this situation.

"It has been four-and-a-half years since the snooker hall collapse and demolition and everyone has been kept waiting long enough for answers.

"All affected parties have plenty of questions they want to put to everyone involved."

A section of the roof of the Q Club, a 60ft long brick built annexe behind Victoria Road and flanked by Allison Street and Kingarth Street, began to cave in on July 28, 2011.

Although fire crews took emergency measures to shore up the building, Glasgow City Council's Building Control team deemed it unsafe and City Property, an arm's-length council company, tasked the now-liquidated Hunter Demolition with taking down the property.

The roof formed the back court for seven tenement blocks on Victoria Road, Allison Street and Kingarth Street.

Its removal means those living in the properties have no back court, leaving them without a drying area and nowhere to store their bins.

The ground formerly occupied by the snooker hall now lies derelict, overgrown and is a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.

Initially, council bosses sent shares of the £50,000 bill for the demolition to householders, who refused to pay up given that the building was privately owned and not part of their title deeds.

Householders say it took two years to resolve the error.

No properties in the affected block have been sold in the past year and some residents have moved on but are continuing to pay mortgages on their empty homes.

The demolition also meant that the internal wall running between the snooker hall and the downstairs commercial properties became an external wall.

No work was done to stabilise the wall and so shop owners have problems with water ingress and damp.

A total of 12 of the 14 attached commercial units have been affected in some way by the demolition.

The work is also alleged to have caused a collapse to a drain, leaving residents dealing with sewage back-flowing into their properties, although this is now resolved.

To resolve the problem, residents want Glasgow City Council to renovate the back court and place its ownership in a trust.

They then want ownership of the area to be passed from the trust and added to the title deeds of their properties.

Shop owners want renovations and repairs carried out on all commercial units.

The Victoria Road Action Group estimates this work will cost £300,000.

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “The council will be represented at the meeting.

“We have been working with neighbouring owners to resolve issues that emerged following the demolition of the dangerous building at this site.

“ We hope to reach a conclusion to this work as soon as possible.”