THE latest round of roadworks in Okehampton's main street at the start of the summer season will be 'disastrous for the town', a chamber of trade spokesman said this week.

Derek Godfrey-Brown said before the bypass was built the town was nationally known for its traffic jams, now it would be known for its trenches.

Okehampton is on the route of one of the biggest cable-laying schemes in recent years by Cable and Wireless who are meeting the growth and demand for internet and call services.

Work started at Fowley Cross this week and will extend to Exeter Industrial Estate — it is expected to take eight weeks.

Mr Godfrey-Brown said it was 'ridiculous' to embark on this work just when the summer season was getting underway and claimed Cable and Wireless had been 'singularly unco-operative.'

'We have tried to postpone it until the end of the summer but to no avail,' he added.

'There is nothing Devon County Council can do about it because these companies have the right to dig up the road whenever they want to — they just issue the statutory notice and bingo! This will be disastrous for the town.

'Are the authorities conspiring to shut Okehampton down permanently?'

Mr Godfey-Brown said there were a lot of events planned for June and July including the Cyclethon which would bring hundreds of cyclists from all over the county into the town.

'If there are still trenches in the town for the cyclethon I shall personally drive a JCB in and fill them in myself,' he said.

Brian Sanders from Okehampton Newsagents said he had never been without obstruction from roadworks outside his shop in the 15 years he had been there.

'I lost 20 cent of my trade when South West Water was here recently,' he said. 'The company has acknowledged it cost me money and I am getting a payment, but had it not been for my real loyal customers the business would have died.'

He said the constant roadworks were 'killing off a lovely little town': 'It will take years to revive Okehampton. People have been driven away.

'If they cannot stop outside my shop they will go somewhere else where they can and that may not be in Okehampton.'

Nick Pogodin from Devon County Council said there would be a lot of disruption in the West Bridge area and the junction of Market Street and George Street for some considerable time between June and July.

'We do not know any more than anyone else — they have not told us the timetable of these works,' he said.

'It is very bad timing and South West Water are coming back to do some more work at the beginning and end of June.'

He said the company was supposed to go through a system whereby it consulted with the different utilities at regular six-monthly meetings over major works but this had not occurred.

'Okehampton is unique in that it only has one road that runs through the centre and that is the biggest problem,' he added.

'Cable and Wireless do not see Okehampton as a town — they just look at it as a road and do not consider the consequences of what they are doing.'

He said Devon County Council had tried to minimise the implications of these works but because they had no legal powers they could not prevent it happening.

A spokesperson for Cable and Wireless said the company very much regretted the inconvenience this work would cause to Okehampton but 'every effort' was being made to minimise this.