ROADWORKS in Longmoor Road, Liphook, have brought claims that the housing developers responsible for blocking off one side of the road next to Bohunt School are putting the pupils' lives at risk.

Piles of bricks, builder's materials and rubble line a barricaded stretch of the road and pavement while water and other services are linked up to the new Westbury Homes' Kingston Ley development.

Traffic lights control one-way traffic through the road works. Bohunt pupils are having to cross the road outside their school and re-cross further up the road near the junction with Liphook Square.

"The road is a nightmare and potentially dangerous," said Claire Rowe from Hollywater, whose 12-year-old daughter is a pupil at the school.

"I think it should be up to Westbury Homes to provide a safe walkway. The area seems to be a dumping ground on the edge of the road and is just waiting for an accident to happen," claimed Mrs Rowe.

"Some of the children are crossing the road, but others are just shuffling along on the same side as the roadworks," she said.

She had hoped that the developers "would pull out all the stops" to get the work done before the new term began.

But instead she said: "Hundreds of children are having to cross and re-cross the road and it's not that easy."

Liphook Parish Council clerk Tony Groves said that some residents had voiced their concerns over the matter but it was not the responsibility of the parish and people were advised to contact Hampshire County Council.

Parent Bill Mouland, whose daughter is a Bohunt pupil, said the roadworks were a "shambles".

"It is right by the traffic calming measures and 20 mph signs. We are all amazed that the work started during the summer holidays wasn't finished by the start of the new term."

And he criticised the parish council for "washing their hands of the matter".

"The parish council is supposed to represent the interest of the residents. It's ludicrous when they have a transport committee which one would have expected to be dealing with it."

"This is more to do with the greed and incompetence of the developers, who don't even get the work done at the weekends to solve the problem."

On Tuesday afternoon, Bohunt headteacher Alan Taylor-Bennett was on duty outside the school ensuring that children were heeding the advice given to them at an assembly to take care and cross the road in designated places.

"It's the bane of our lives and we've been told if could last another five weeks," he told The Herald.

A senior member of staff said Mr Taylor-Bennett was on duty at the front of the school at the start and end of the day to help the children cross safely

In an earlier statement, Bohunt said it had notified the police and asked for their help.

"They said they would notify their traffic officers but did not feel they would be able to have an officer there at school start and finishing times".

A spokesman for Hampshire County Council said that the original plan was for the developer to have the work finished by August 23, but a number of unforeseen problems had caused delays.

"We are aware of the situation with Bohunt pupils and fully agree that it is not ideal," said the spokesman.

The spokesman said an engineer was due to visit the site yesterday (Thursday). If necessary, the temporary traffic lights would be removed and the roadway reinstated until the developer was ready to complete the work.

"We will obviously look to have this situation improved as soon as possible."

Operations' director for Westbury Homes Bryan Leeming said that problems relating to the development of the 43 homes including a two- storey block of flats was "outside our control".

"We are trying to get things sorted out as soon as possible and hoping to have the work completed within the next four weeks," said Mr Leeming.