“BONKERS” road closures are strangling businesses around Ilminster resulting in ghost towns, according to a cut-off pub landlord.

No sooner had Steve Carr, from the Barrington Boar, begun to recover from the lengthy closure of The Beacon in Ilminster, he found himself victim of another road improvements scheme which he says is driving trade out of the village.

Essential drainage works are currently ongoing on the B3168 at Puckington and Stocklinch Lane which are expected to last six weeks.

The work had been planned for some time but had to be put back due to the landslip at The Beacon.

However, Mr Carr says, while he fully understands the need of the work to be done, a lack of consultation and the closure of routes to Barrington has forced him to lay off members of staff.

He told The News: “We are completely cut off by the roadworks. We are trading at about 60% down and getting worse, and the council in its wisdom decided to start the closure around half-term when hoards of people would normally visit Barrington Court.

“It is not just affecting me. They have effectively closed off the route from Ilminster to Curry Rivel for the sake of a few hundred yards of work and it is strangling us.

“All we ask for is some filter traffic light systems in the evenings and weekends. We are all up in arms about this because we have got another three weeks or so of hell.

“I am losing money big time; I moved here nine months ago and have since had to deal with four different sets of road works. It is having such a detrimental effect that we are losing £2,000 a week and I have had to let go one member of staff already.

“Everywhere is a ghost town and the damage will be lasting both for Ilminster and the villages, because people’s habits change. I have already heard and seen people going to Crewkerne instead and if they find something they like, they will continue to go there.

“We feel really, really let down about this bonkers thinking and lack of consultation with the businesses.”

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused by these essential improvement works. We know the road closure will cause some disruption, but at this stage we are unable to use traffic lights or a partial road closure due to the narrow width of the road. The safety of our workforce cannot be compromised.

“We’re pleased to say work on site is progressing well and it is still anticipated that the major work on the B3168 will be completed within the allocated fourweek period. Once this part of the scheme has been completed, works will begin in the Stocklinch Lane junction, which is set off the B3168. At this point we will review the traffic management arrangements.”