ANGRY Bransford businesspeople claim a road closure is costing them thousands in lost trade.

The A4103 between Hereford and Worcester, which runs through the village, is currently shut while a £674,000 road-raising scheme is carried out.

Garage owner John King said he is losing £100 a day just in MOTs because the breaking of the road link to and from Worcester has put many customers off.

He said he was considering claiming compensation from Worcestershire County Council.

Gary Jeynes, owner of neighbouring Bransford Car Sales, said loss of passing trade had badly affected his business.

He estimated he had lost ten sales since the road closed on March 19. One couple came from Caerphilly in Wales to buy a £10,000 car but turned back after failing to find the garage because of diversion signs.

Next door Jeremy Cornwell, owner of the Foal Yard Gallery, said Bransford was like "a ghost town" since the closures had taken effect.

He said he had lost out on a lot of trade, although he could not put a figure on how much. He added that road closure signs give a wrong impression that the village is inaccessible.

Mike Davis, the manager of Worcestershire Highways Part-nership, said favourable weather and contractors' working round the clock meant that the road could re-open as soon as April 2.

He said a balance had to be struck between warning mot-orists the road was closed and letting them know firms were still open.

"Each business wanted us to say that their business was open, but if we had a long list of a dozen or so names people would not be able to read them, so it made more sense to say 'Bransford businesses open as usual'," he said.

He added that traders with concerns about the signing can get in touch with the partnership to discuss it.