WORK has been halted on a main road into Worcester following issues with a gas pipe.

Mike Baldwin, owner of Ladygo Stores, called the work a "farce" and said nobody had been on site outside his shop since Thursday.

The road has been closed off since Thursday, July 22 so Piper Homes can fix sewage pipes to the new housing development.

After work had to be stopped four days ago, Dave Bradley, managing director at Piper Homes, said work would resume at the site tomorrow morning (Tuesday).

He added that it had not affected their schedule to finish by Wednesday, September 1.

Worcester News:

"We’ve been working closely with our consulting engineers, Cadent Gas, and Severn Trent Water to finalise a solution to an issue encountered during the mandatory drainage works taking place on the A443.

“We were notified of the issue late on Thursday (July 30) and agreed a solution today (Monday) ensuring we kept Worcester County Council Highways Department fully informed.

“I can confirm that works will re-commence tomorrow morning and our overall programme of works has not been affected.”

However, Mr Baldwin said: "It been chaos there's no work been done and all the villagers are up in arms.

"I've lost 60 per cent of my trade - sometimes I don't know why we're open.

"Lots of cars are still going down the junction which is shut and having to turn around.

"It's just chaos, this is a main road into Worcester with 1,000 cars going past each day."

He fears the work will not be done in the six weeks.

He claims workers get on site at about 8am and finish between 3pm and 4pm and are not working weekends.

"Not a stroke has been done today.

"If it is the gas pipes that have caused an issue they should have known about it months and months ago."

District Councillor Dean Clarke echoed Mr Baldwin's frustrations.

"Ten days after the closure of the main road through Hallow to traffic, work has come to a halt.

"No work has taken place at weekends and as of this morning the workings were deserted."

"Despite the damage to local businesses, the gross inconvenience to local communities and blocking the path of emergency vehicles, Piper Homes have showed little urgency in completing these works."