Bungling contractors cut the water supply to allotments, spelling disaster for growers who have spent months tending their plots.

The group at Roedale allotments, near Brentwood Road, Brighton, have been left to watch their hard work wilt after the supply was knocked out by workmen who accidentally damaged a pipe.

Gardeners are desperate to get their supply back before their creations die in parched plots.

Stanley Charlwood, 88, of Barnett Road, Brighton, said: "The plants are desperate for a drink. It's a critical time of year in the gardening calendar and with such dry, hot weather they are really suffering.

"If the water supply isn't repaired soon, there will be a lot of dead fruit and vegetables around.

"I've had a plot since 1946 and I've never known such a badly-handled situation."

Mr Charlwood, chairman of Roedale Allotment and Gardens Society, said the problems started about two weeks ago when a tap at the allotment was vandalised.

Gardeners were without water for three days before Brighton and Hove City Council repaired the damage.

On Monday last week, workers building a skate park in Hollingdean Park, about 50m away, hit the pipe leading to the allotments. The water has been off ever since.

Mr Charlwood said: "It's disgraceful nothing has been done to fix it. Everything is dying."

Fellow plot holder Barbara Summerfield, of Hollingbury, said: "Everyone's water vats are empty. It's been the hottest week of the year and we are all tremendously angry - the earth is as dry as a bone.

"I've rung the council every day this week, and every day they told me the problem had been fixed. But when I went to the allotment in the evening there was no water.

"I was at the allotment last night and there were lots of angry and frustrated people."

A spokeswoman for the city council said: "Workmen went through a water mains pipe, which affected the supply to the allotments.

"The skateboard manufacturers are working to repair the pipe. We are encouraging people to use their water butts."

She said the council would not provide a water tank as it would be too expensive.

When asked the council's advice on what gardeners were to do with no water, she said: "The only thing is to take some supplies to the allotment.

"We understand people are concerned but it was accidental damage. All we can do is ask people to bear with us."

Mr Charlwood said: "I'm 88, how can they expect me to carry buckets of water to my allotment?"

Geoff Smith, director of Universal Play, the contractors working on the skate park, said the mains pipe had been repaired on Thursday afternoon.

However, yesterday morning only taps at the lower end of the allotments were working. Plots at the top of the hill were still left parched.

As a peace offering, the council sent two containers of water on tractors to the allotments yesterday afternoon.

While gardeners said this would help temporarily, there were worries about future water supplies.

Doug Muncaster, of Fiveways, Brighton, said: "It takes hundreds of hours to get a plot up and running.

"It's heartbreaking to see it spoilt due to something like this."