Keith MacLean, project manager for contractor Balfour Beatty, told The Buteman on Tuesday: "The council have asked us to do further work on the harbour walls with more pointing.

"We should have had the coffer dam out this week, and with the tide back in and the harbour flooded, we could have lifted the temporary piles and then removed the debris which is providing their short term support.

"However we are on target to remove most of the portacabins at the end of this week, and work on the front of the pier is nearly finished with just a couple of piles and the fendering remaining to be done - and the east end of the pier is also just about complete."

This was confirmed by a council spokesperson who said: "The contractor (Balfour Beatty) has been instructed to carry out mortar re-pointing work at low levels on the existing masonry walls at the west pier and Guildford Square walls at the inner harbour.

"He is arranging a sub-contractor to carry out this work at the moment and until there is a confirmed programme for this bit of work it isn't possible to say what the effect on the overall programme will be.

"We hope that the end of September will still be achievable."