BUNGLING highways chiefs have apologised after wrongly diverting traffic from a busy dual carriageway through a town's high street.

The Highways Agency had to quickly remove the signs from the A1 at Scotch Corner last Friday after complaints about congestion in Yarm, near Stockton.

The agency had mistakenly placed the diversion signs there days earlier as it warned drivers on the motorway about roadworks on the A66 on Teesside.

However, no diversion was necessary as the A66 was to remain open in both directions at all times.

The error was only discovered after Yarm residents and councillors complained and highways bosses then ordered the diversion signs be removed and replaced with "delays possible" signs.

A Highways Agency spokesman said: "The diversion routes through Yarm were set up in error, and as soon as the error was pointed out we took steps to remove the signs, so we are not diverting traffic through Yarm.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this oversight may have caused."

Yarm Conservative councillor Jennie Beaumont said she was appalled to see that traffic had been diverted through Yarm, which brought the High Street to a standstill last week.

She said: "I'm very pleased to hear the signs have been taken down. This was the last thing Yarm needed.

"It's absolutely essential that people do not use Yarm as a cut through. We can't take any more traffic. The last thing we want to do is encourage more traffic to come through, and we were horrified when these signs went up last week."

Major work on the A66 at Surtees Bridge, between Thornaby and Stockton, began last week and is due to last for 18 months.

Work is expected to be carried out during off-peak times only, enabling both lanes in each direction to remain open at the busiest times, while one lane will be closed while work is in progress.

However, towards the end of next month to the beginning of May, that entire section of the A66 is expected to be closed during the night and over a weekend for a short period, while major work is carried out.

Traffic will then be diverted off the A66 at Ingleby Barwick, through Stockton and Thornaby, and back on to the A66.

The Highways Agency will be giving notice nearer the time.