Li-an Boasman, who owns swimwear shop Blue on Hough Lane, joked that if the situation got any worse, she would have to draft in the help of a snorkel and flippers.

She said: "It all started about six months ago when the drain at the back of the store became blocked.

"We called the council who sent people out to have a look at it. They came back to us saying they had done what they could but it was so bad it needed extensive attention.

"Five months have passed since then and still nothing has been done."

But the nightmare became worse for Li-an, who has a one-year-old son.

Sleet and rain flooded the road, making it impossible to see that the grid from the drain had come loose, and Li-an fell down the hole.

She said: "I was walking towards the shop when my foot went straight down the drain.The scary bit was that I had my son in my arms.

"You can get both feet down there, the hole is so big. Thankfully we're both okay but it could have been a lot worse."

Li-an says her pleas for help are falling on deaf ears and the problem is now starting to affect business.

She said: "Why should I keep calling the council when they know the problem? I've made numerous phone calls and sent emails. It looks bad when I have customers coming in and out.

"How bad does it have to be before someone takes an interest. Does someone have to die falling down the hole? It's despicable."

Rachel Crompton, assistant area manager at Lancashire County Council, said: "We are not aware of any drainage problems in Dorothy Avenue and nobody has reported any problems with standing water to us.

"We will investigate to see if we need to take any action."