People affected by the closure of a town centre road have major grounds for complaint as the firm behind its makeover has run out of paving slabs.

Councillors and traders have been left “gobsmacked” following the news that Ringway hasn’t ordered enough material to complete repaving The Borough.

It was always accepted the three-month closure was going to be the most disruptive part of the town centre improvement programme.

So the fact Ringway – whose tagline is ‘We know highways, and we always deliver’ – have got their numbers wrong has left many fuming with Cllr Catherine Powell accusing the firm of “failing Farnham”.

“The whole situation is just unbelievable,” said Cllr Powell, who has suggested using paving from the north side of East Street to plug the gap.

“Ringway must have noticed with the supply of material they couldn’t deliver what was promised.”

The warning signs were clear to see last week when tarmac was used to complete a section of Victoria Road pavement instead of slabs.

The contractor says the “unique” paving slab used to fit The Borough design brief has limited availability and comes from a single supplier, with more due to arrive in the coming weeks.

A spokesperson added: “While we ordered the appropriate quantity with an expected wastage allowance, we have taken the decision to increase that allowance to achieve a higher quality, more consistent finish.”

While the delay means that work on The Borough will be extended past its anticipated March competition date, it will be carried out overnight throughout April.

A spokesperson for Surrey County Council said: “The council’s position is that the outstanding works in The Borough must not involve any further extended or daytime road closures and should therefore be overnight to ensure the impact on the retailers, people and visitors of Farnham is minimal.”