RESIDENTS of flats just yards from a crumbling quay wall were advised to leave their homes for safety reasons.

 

Meanwhile a legal wrangle is ongoing over who is responsible for repairing the damage.

Last year, city council engineers discovered there was a problem with the section of quay wall on the south side of the Clyde between the Kingston and Tradeston Bridges.

Further checks were carried out which showed the problem had got worse and warning signs were erected saying the riverside walkway was dangerous and affected by subsidence.

The council insists the 278 residents of the Waterfront development own the quay wall and as a result are responsible for any repairs.

But they say they cannot afford to pay a bill which could be in excess of £1million.

Recently, council experts detected there had been further movement of the quay wall.

And last week, a number of residents were advised to leave their homes as a precaution because of an unusually low tide.

It is understood some stayed in hotels overnight.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: "Some residents were sent a letter which said structural engineers believed there had been some movement and they were worried about low tides last weekend."

It is believed the low tide passed without incident and that owners were able to return home.

Residents have employed a QC in a bid to establish who is responsible for funding repair work to the quay wall.

Yesterday First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who represents Glasgow Southside where the flats are located, attended a meeting in the City Chambers to get an update on the situation.

A council spokesman said: "We are aware of some recent movement of the Windmillcroft Quay Wall and, while the responsibility to fund the repair and maintenance of the wall still lies with the various owners of the properties, we continue to assist the factors where possible."

In March 2013, a 50 yard stretch of the walkway collapsed into the river on the north side of the Clyde, just west of the Kingston Bridge at Anderston Quay.

The latest problem came to light when council experts checked the condition of other sections of the river's quay walls, many of which date back to the 1800s.