A £1 million scheme to alleviate flooding problems could be set to bring major traffic congestion to a North-East town centre.

Northumbrian Water today announced details of a massive project that will boost flood defences for long-suffering traders in Darlington.

The sewerage network improvements get under way at the end of this month and are designed to improve protection for businesses in the Victoria Road area.

About 270 metres of the network will be renewed and a new pumping station on land built behind Victoria Road.

But the work could potentially bring chaos to one of the town's key routes - the St Cuthbert's Way ring road.

There will be lane closures on the north and southbound stretches of the road for the majority of the 26 weeks the project will take to complete.

There will also be a road closure at Backhouse Street, although this is only expected to come into effect from the end of October.

Bosses at Darlington Fire Station, on St Cuthbert's Way, insisted that the traffic restrictions would not have an impact on the brigade getting out to emergency calls.

In 2002, a break was created in the road's central reservation, so that fire engines and ambulances could turn right on to the dual carriageways - saving precious seconds on 999 calls.

And a station spokesman said: "We have had no correspondence from headquarters to say this is going to affect us.

"We have the lights system and we should be able to get out to 999 calls as we would under normal circumstances."

A spokeswoman for Northumbrian Water said: "Obviously, we do apologise for any inconvenience caused, but this is a scheme that is going to alleviate flooding for five to eight commercial properties in the Victoria Road area."

Preliminary work begins on Monday, September 20, with the project starting in earnest the following Monday.

The Victoria Road area has been struck by flooding several times in recent years, as the River Skerne's levels rose during heavy rainfall.