A man left with a £4,000 legal bill when he took Barnet Council to court over a crack in his wall says the six-year fight to get his money back has had a detrimental effect on his life.

Martin Roach, of West Hendon Broadway, initiated legal action against the authority in 2007 when his front garden wall became damaged during a major road works programme two years earlier.

The 59-year-old applied for damages of less than £5,000 from the council and Affinity Water, then Veolia Water, for the superficial crack in the brickwork.

Mr Roach claimed vibrations from the road works caused the crack, something Barnet Council and Affinity Water denied, having been backed by an independent expert.

After Barnet Council failed to produce some information Mr Roach needed to present his case, he withdrew his claim to prevent mounting legal costs in a dispute he looked unlikely to win.

He was subsequently ordered to pay legal costs for the two parties amounting to £4,000 – and to rub salt in the wound, he was presented with the evidence he needed months later.

Six years on from the episode, Mr Roach is still battling to reclaim the money from Affinity Water and Barnet Council, the latter of which has spent £17,000 on legal advice over the matter.

He has previously refused to pay council tax, but wound up in court with a small fine, and claims he has not paid a water bill in more than three years.

More recently, he has enlisted the help of Hendon MP Matthew Offord, who has contacted the Attorney General over the case.

Mr Roach, a retired leak technician for Thames Water, admits that after six years of legal wrangling and numerous correspondence with the interested parties, the battle is taking its toll on his personal life.

He said: “I want to get my money back from the council and hold them to account for damaging my property.

“But looking back at it now, I would have to say it has not been worth it. I’m out of pocket, I’ve had five years dealing with letters from the council and the water company – it’s incredibly frustrating.”

Mr Roach is looking to raise the matter once again, but has so far been blocked by the courts.

Hendon MP Matthew Offord has been involved in the extraordinary dispute from the beginning and is looking at what options are available for the property owner.

The Conservative politician said: “Mr Roach is understandably frustrated. It is a terrible situation and it has cost him more and more money. I feel sorry for him – it has taken a huge amount of his time and it is emotionally draining for him.

“He was left holding the baby when he realised he didn’t have the information he needed to make a case. I want to know why Barnet Council didn’t have that information.”

Barnet Council has apologised to Mr Roach for failing to provide the evidence he had requested for his case but says its position on his claim remains the same.

A spokesman said: "The council's position has not changed since a year ago. Mr Roach is of course entitled to seek to reopen legal action, however we would strongly recommend that he takes appropriate legal advice before incurring further costs in this matter."

Mr Roach says he owes more than £500 in unpaid water bills over the matter and says he is more than prepared for Affinity Sutton to take him to court.

An Affinity Water spokesperson said: “Previous independent investigations found Affinity Water was not liable for damage caused to the garden wall owned by Mr Roach.

“Due to data protection laws, we are unable to comment on the status of our customers’ bills.”