ANGRY Petersfield traders and residents say the closure of Frenchman's Road for work on a mini-roundabout has been handled badly and caused chaos in the town.

Traders on the Amy Industrial Estate say their businesses have been seriously affected by the closure.

Residents living in nearby roads say the work, which is close to the railway station, means that commuters are parking their cars outside their homes.

The roadworks are the first phase of development by Railtrack and Quadrant Estates, who last summer got the go- ahead for major improvements to the station car park and the building of a retail park in the old coalyard.

There is to be a new car park entrance from Frenchman's Road as well as improvements to the station car park and the provision of an extra 56 spaces.

But Bill Gosney, managing director of Littlejohn Bathrooms, based at the Amy Industrial Estate, says his business has been hit hard by the lack of diversion signs to his site.

Earlier this year Mr Gosney complained to Hampshire County Council after no diversion was put in place when gasworks were being carried out.

Mr Gosney said: "My business has dropped by more than 20 per cent since this work began and I am not exaggerating.

"There have been signs to say that the road is closed and that there is a diversion in place, but there is no diversion.

"I spoke to the county council when the road was last closed and it promised me that it would make sure that a diversion to the industrial estate would be properly signed.

"It took me more than two-and-a-half hours to get someone to speak to me. Eventually I got through to the chief engineer and now things are beginning to happen."

He added: "People have been driving in to Petersfield using directions from Yellow Pages, my website, and the brochures and they have come across this total confusion.

"I understand that this work has been carried out by Railtrack's contractors but the management by Hampshire County Council has been absolutely appalling.

"One of my neighbours said it took him 15 minutes to get from the Amy Industrial Estate to Bell Hill."

Branch manager of Williams and Co, heating and plumbing merchants, Andy Hanniford, also believes the closure of Frenchman's Road has affected business.

He said: "The diversion that has been put in place is a bit of long way round. It has certainly been a bit quieter here since the work began.

"It has confused some of our drivers as well. We have had to go to meet two people with deliveries on the A3 and show them the way in.

"We have a 40ft articulated truck coming in soon so I don't know how he will cope."

On Wednesday Mr Gosney followed the diversion signs with one of Railtrack's contractors.

Mr Gosney said: "We drove the route and got to a diversion sign, when I said to the contractor, 'where do we go now?'

"He agreed that the signing was inadequate and has said that they will look at the situation in the next few days. They have said that they will do anything they can to help."

Hampshire County Council engineer Keith Jolliffe said there had been problems with diversion signs at the site.

He was due to meet Railtrack and contractors Morrison Construction yesterday (Thursday) to discuss the situation.

He said: "There is a diversion for works being undertaken on the site by the developers.

"There have also been signs to the industrial estate but, as with a lot of things like this, we have found that signs have been moved or kicked over."

He added: "At the meeting we will discuss all these problems with Railtrack and hopefully sort out some more appropriate diversions. We will make sure that they are maintained."

The mini-roundabout work, which started in January, is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. Once it is finished Quadrant Estates will move in to begin work on the retail park.

At a meeting of Petersfield Town Council on Monday, county councillor John West said he appreciated the frustrations for people living in the Frenchman's Road area of the town.

But he said there were tight government regulations governing road closures when major development was being carried out, as a result of a fatal accident in anther part of the country.

"Unfortunately," he told councillors, "we will have to go on living with the situation until the road reopens."