A TROMBONIST launched into an unusual solo performance to highlight claims by North Yorkshire villagers that more action needs to be taken to sort out their sewers.

Alan Tomlinson played an improvised show entitled Up To The Hilt in Brawby, near Malton, yesterday morning as part of a campaign calling for an end to raw sewage spilling onto the village street, with residents claiming agencies are passing the buck.

Yorkshire Water and North Yorkshire County Council have said there is no flood risk to homes in Brawby.

Plans to deal with any sewer issues have been drawn up and the community now has better protection against rising water.

However, campaigners say the problem is pollution rather than flooding, stemming from Yorkshire Water’s treatment works.

They have claimed the works are unable to cope with the volume of water, with sewage being sent into a ditch before pouring onto the street.

A report drawn up by villagers said the issues could be prevented if remedial engineering work was carried out.

About 20 people gathered for Mr Tomlinson’s “sewer solo” yesterday.

Mark Young, the council’s flood management officer, said a scheme was in place to use when high river levels meant the sewage system was inundated.

He said: “That doesn’t mean a cloudburst from a summer storm can’t overwhelm the local drainage for short periods, but it does mean the community can now be better protected from the sort of longer-term surface flooding which occurred last winter.”

He said pollution and health issues raised by residents could now be managed more effectively.

A Yorkshire Water spokeswoman said it had spent more than £60,000 improving the sewer system to cut the risk in Brawby “despite the fact there were no internal or garden flooding incidents from the sewers”.