Worcester's High Street is falling apart already - and they haven't even finished it yet!

Worcester's £1.3m High Street is already suffering from wear and tear - less than two months after being installed.

Delivery trucks dropping heavy loading lifts are being blamed for scrapes, marks and dents appearing on the new pebble-style surface.

The unsightly scouring is the latest in a series of problems for the project.

n About 100 yards of the street were taken out of the original plans after contractors warned they wouldn't have enough cash to finish the job.

n The September finish date was put back to mid-November when a mediaeval cellar was unearthed.

n Shops complained of a "considerable drop" in sales as fencing was put up to protect shoppers from the work.

n The timetable was pushed back further, with 75 yards left until the New Year, to ensure the street was cleared for Remembrance Day

City council transport manager Andy Walford will ask delivery firms to put rubber blocks on their trucks.

"We didn't envisage this would be a problem - it hadn't shown up in the old High Street," he said.

"Obviously, this type of material has not been used before so it's a bit of a pioneering scheme. It's a question of trying to deal with the issue now we are aware of it."

Christmas shoppers were appalled by the damage, which is worst outside Boots.

"It's just disgraceful the council can spend so much money and not turn up with the goods. We're attracting thousands of people a year and this is all we can do for them," said Sheila Kimberley, from Warndon Villages, Worcester.

Gary Cook, from Pershore, described the street as "dreadful".

"It cheapens the High Street. Presentation is a massive area and will affect the reputation of the city," said the management consultant.

Mr Walford said contractors would visit early in the New Year to repair the damage.