Owners of businesses near Odsal roundabout are fighting for compensation, claiming they are losing trade because of maintenance work.

And residents whose roads are being used as diversions claim they are living on dangerous rat-runs.

Motorists have been told to avoid Odsal roundabout while work is carried out this month. The roundabout and adjoining roads were closed all weekend and will be closed for the next two weekends for resurfacing and strengthening two bridges over the A641 Huddersfield Road.

The work is part of the £20 million South Bradford Integrated Transport Scheme.

Sarah Gledhill, licensee of the Top House pub on the corner of Manchester Road and Rooley Lane, next to Odsal roundabout, said weekend trade was low. "Saturday normally would've been busy, especially with football fans, but our only customers are those who can walk here," she said. "All the slip roads are shut and Manchester Road is only open through the underpass so we get no passing trade. There is one sign at the end of the M606 saying that local businesses are still open but nothing at the Manchester Road side.

"This is going to happen for the next two weekends so we'll lose more business.

"We only moved here in January and have put a lot of money into the place."

Mrs Gledhill said she and other businesses were working with Odsal councillor David Green (Lab) towards getting compensation.

Diversions around the maintenance work caused weekend traffic hold-ups.

Jack Woodhead lives in St Abbs Drive, off Netherlands Avenue, where traffic coming into Bradford is being diverted.

"I am a prisoner in my own home," he said. "It took me 20 minutes to turn into my road from Netherlands as the traffic was the full length of the road. It's absolute chaos."

Netherlands Avenue resident Joan Camp-bell said: "This road has been a rat-run for a long time and this is making it much worse. We were told by the Council that only buses and residents' vehicles would be allowed up here but it's being used as a general diversion.

"There's a constant queue of traffic up the road. I dread to think what would happen if we needed an emergency vehicle."

John Blackburn, the Council's head of service for highways and traffic south, said: "It isn't normal to offer compensation unless access is denied and it wasn't in this case."

He said there would be a review of traffic management and signs would be improved.

But Mr Blackburn said though there had been local problems, the M606-Mayo arrangements had gone smoothly and contractors were able to do all the work planned.

The roundabout will be closed each weekend up to and including Monday, June 23, from 7pm on Friday until 4.30am the following Monday. The repair work will stop temporarily on Saturday, June 21, from 3pm to 9pm, allowing traffic to get to and from nearby Odsal Stadium for the Bradford Bulls' Super League game against Wigan Warriors.

Highways officers will hold a meeting with residents at 7.30pm on Thursday in Alders-gate Methodist Church at the junction of Common Road and Cleckheaton Road.