Concerned villagers have lashed out after loose stones left following roadworks led to a nightmare on a busy road.

%image(15251300, type="article-full", alt="Suffolk Highways said it has previously sent workers to resolve the issues Picture: CLAIRE RUSHER")

Suffolk Highways had completed works in Main Road, Somersham, last year - although people living there claim the works have caused nothing but trouble for the village.

One villager claims the loose chippings have broken drivers' windows and are creating hazards for local cyclists, while another believes the road is now in a worse state than it was before works were carried out.

Suffolk Highways said they have returned to the site to carry out road sweeps.

However Claire Rusher, 39, said the loose chippings in the road have led to her husband falling off his bike - while her windscreen has also been damaged as a result.

%image(15251301, type="article-full", alt="Residents in Somersham, Suffolk, have complained to Suffolk Highways as loose chippings left from previous works cause a "nightmare" for locals Picture: CLAIRE RUSHER")

Mrs Rusher said: 'It is affecting the whole of the village, it is just an absolute nightmare.

'They keep saying they have come out to fix the problem, but all they seem to be doing is sweeping the chippings onto the side of the road.

'I just think it's pathetic, what good is it going to do?'

Mrs Rusher said villagers had contacted Suffolk Highways on other occasions, but had been told repair workers could not be despatched due to poor weather.

She added: 'What worries me though is that they will have to close the road again. When the works were on, it cuts the whole village off.

'We have to drive all the way up to Needham Market just to turn around and get back to Ipswich.

'I think the whole village is just fed up with it all, to be honest.'

A notice on the Suffolk Highways website on surface dressing said the authority deliberately applies more chippings than required to help complete the resurfacing process.

Typically these chippings are embedded into the road after cars pass through the route at a reduced speed.

A spokesman for Suffolk Highways said: 'Following Main Road, Somersham, being surface dressed at the end of August 2019, we've attended the site three times to sweep excess chippings, and we continue to monitor the location and will carry further sweeps if required.

'If anyone has experienced damage to their property as a result of loose chippings, they will be asked to follow the insurance claim process.'