ANGRY business people have been refused compensation by Railtrack for what they claim is massive loss of trade during work on Fosters Bridge near the station.

Neil Hadaway from the Metro Cafe says he has lost 25 per cent of his trade.

He has been refused compensation from Railtrack which says it is not responsible for "economic loss".

The bridge reopened last Friday after four weeks of renovations and the installation of the town coat of arms. The Haslemere Society paid for netting to stop birds roosting.

Mr Hadaway said: "The pigeons are still there and the colour of the bridge is hideous. Was it really worth it?

"They told me that repair work must be routinely undertaken, but what have they really done in four weeks? A lick of paint and some plastic netting."

Mr Hadaway said the past four weeks have been "an absolute nightmare" for his cafe which suffered from the closure in Lower Street.

He said: "A lot of the trade we get here is passing trade and labourers working in the area.

"When you've only got half an hour to get some food you don't want to be spending your time trying to find a route to the cafe.

"The road recently reopened but I am still playing catch-up and trying to pay backdated bills. Things will get even worse come December and January when labourers seem to stop work ."

Mr Hadaway sent a claim to his landlord Railtrack.

But the company wrote back claiming it is not responsible for any losses.

In a letter to Mr Hadaway, Railtrack's assistant claims manager Katherine Standford said: "While we regret the inconvenience, we are not responsible in law for economic loss.

"Obviously to ensure the safety of the railway, maintenance such as this must be undertaken from time to time. We approached the council for the road closure in the interests of public safety and our request was granted."

Peter Spooner, owner of the JC Tobacconist shop opposite the station, told The Herald he had lost 20 per cent of his trade. But he said he had no intention of claiming compensation as he compared the process to "banging your head against a brick wall".

"Obviously the commuters still come to work but it's the loss of trade from people working in the station yard that has affected my business.

"When the High Street was closed, people were jumping up and down and causing a massive fuss and that was just for two weeks. This road was closed for an entire month.

Chairman of the Haslemere Chamber of Trade and Commerce Melanie Odell said she had spoken to Mr Hadaway. "The chamber is interested in helping all Haslemere businesses whether they are members or not. I suggested that he apply for compensation from the rates for the time of the bridge closure."