BUSINESSES along one of the main routes into Darlington say roadworks are crippling their trade.

The work, being carried out along a 1.1km stretch of Haughton Road by Transco to replace a gas main, began before Christmas.

It was temporarily halted to reduce congestion over Christmas and resumed last Tuesday, to the frustration of local businesses.

They say they are tired of the roadworks preventing customers reaching their premises.

Vince Wright, of Fresh Fayre, a general dealer and florist, said his trade had been badly hit at the two most important times of the year.

"I run a one-man band here, and the main days are Christmas and Mother's Day for people buying flowers, but the roadworks were here until just before Christmas, and again now, just before Mother's Day.

"It almost bankrupted me at Christmas and then they came back last week. If they had only come after Mother's Day, but they don't ask.

"Once they have gone from here, my trade will still be affected until they have finished the full stretch, because I rely on the passing trade."

Brian Hutchinson, of High Grange Leisure, said that his two sites on Haughton Road, one selling caravans and another selling cars, had both been affected by the roadworks.

"It's like we are barricaded off by these traffic lights. Customers can't get in or out of our sites, and we are not happy. This is crippling our businesses," he said.

A spokeswoman for Transco said that the work would take nine more weeks, but the work on the section outside High Grange Leisure would be completed on Friday.

She said the workmen had not been on-site for a couple of days because they were waiting for the special concrete used to fill the hole to set - a process which takes three days - before they could lay the tarmac.

She said: "We appreciate it is causing inconvenience and we will be out of their way by Friday, but the work is essential and it is a big job."