Cross Hills traders say roadworks to fix a Transco blunder are helping to kill business.

Traffic through Main Street has ground to a halt over the last fortnight because of temporary traffic lights serving work by Transco and Norweb Telecom.

Norweb is laying a fibre optic communications network for businesses nation-wide, while Transco is repairing a burst pipe.

Norweb has brought its scheme forward to coincide with Tranco's work. But an error by Transco four years ago is said to have caused most of the disruption.

At that time the company laid a gas pipe under Main Street. The foamed concrete used in the work got into the water pipe and blocked it.

This caused flooding to the cellar of Richard Wellock's fruit and vegetable shop.

But the problem was only discovered when North Yorkshire highways contractors dug up the road earlier this year to investigate.

Says shop owner Hazel Stott: "I reported it to the council but they're only just sorting it out now."

Transco says: "It was only brought to our attention in April this year. Since then there have been discussions between the county council, ourselves and contractors."

He says the contractors who laid the gas pipe no longer work for Transco.

North Yorkshire County Council highways divisional engineer Richard Marr explains: "We asked Transco to rectify the problem. If they hadn't done the work we could have sued them after doing it ourselves.

"But the $64,000 question is how far this concrete has gone - we're not too sure of the extent of the problem."

Transco says work on Main Street was due to have finished by today, then would continue in Glusburn for up to three weeks.

Mrs Stott adds: "Last Friday our business was £100 down on the Friday before. Anybody passing through is not going to stop. Parking is bad enough at the best of times."

Wendy Hutchinson, owner of Hedgerow Florist, next door, agrees. She says: "Roadworks have drastically affected business. Every few months something is being done.

"Over the last three days takings have been down by half. Drivers are not going to battle over parking space for flowers.

"The village is being ruined."