The president of Bingley's Chamber of Trade has called for roadworks on the A650 to be stopped immediately.

Pauline Wood hit out following an announcement by the Council's highways sub-commitee chairman Coun Phil Thorn-ton that the major work would finish this week.

It was then revealed that roadworks would continue right up until Christmas necessitating temporary traffic lights.

The Telegraph & Argus revealed yesterday that Bradford Council had admitted there had been a "misunderstanding" over an announcement that the major roadworks would end this week.

The Highways Agency said there would be seven separate days of work carried out between now and Christmas, but not consecutively.

Mrs Wood said: "It's chaos. Nobody seems to know what they are doing, it's a mess.

"Wednesday is a market day and the town should have been buzzing but it was very quiet.

"Bingley will drastically suffer in the run up to Christmas and the traders are desperate for business. I don't know why it can't be done at night."

Bingley councillor Eileen Sinclair added: "It seems to be taking a long time for what is a relatively short stretch of road."

"I do think it has come to a pretty pass and is time to consider working at night times. It would be in the best interests of the town. At the moment these roadworks are sounding the death knell for Bingley, the cost to townsfolk is going to be astronomical."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "We apologise for the delays but the roadworks are nearly complete now and it is not our intention to stop now."

lThere were temporary traffic signals in the area of Grange Park Drive today, to allow carriageway work and ironwork adjustments between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

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