TRADERS in Bovey Tracey are already feeling the impact of Fore Street being closed to traffic while pavement works are carried out.

The work, being carried out by Kingsteignton-based South West Highways Ltd for Devon County Council, started on Tuesday and is scheduled to take up to 39 days. Several shopkeepers are irritated that the work is being done now rather than in the quiet winter period. Worst hit are those who rely most heavily on passing trade.

By lunchtime on Tuesday only one customer had crossed Bovey Fish Bar's threshold. Co-owner Nicola Elliott said they would normally expect to have had about 20 customers. Mark Elliott said: 'I understand it's got to be done, but during the winter would have been better.' Country Cuisine reckoned its trade was down 40 per cent.

'It's a nightmare. We've been very quiet. A lot of customers are elderly and disabled and used to parking out front,' said Keith Galloway. Owner Steve Galloway added: 'They've dug the road up once this year already. If today is anything to go by this business is going to be hit hard. If this continues I will have to call my insurance company for loss of takings and waste.'

Town councillor Tina Richardson, proprietor of Pink's Place Antique Centre, said she would also be looking for compensation if her business continued to suffer. She said: 'The work's got to be done, I know that. The trouble is 39 days is a long time not to take any money. They've only just started today and I have not seen anyone.

'Why can't they have done it in stages and not in one sweep? If I don't take any money for a month, who should I go to for compensation?' She said that visitors unaware of the town's geography were turning away at the road closure signs at the bottom of town and that no diversions were in place.

Town clerk Terry Westwood said a new sign was going up on Wednesday at the bottom of town saying that only the top end of Fore Street was closed and that businesses are open as usual.

'The work will enhance Bovey Tracey and we've got to get it done as quickly as possible. Previous roadworks at the bottom of town overran because of complaints and the work had to be done at night at additional cost to the taxpayer,' he said. He added that Fore Street will be open at weekends.

Andrew Mann, liaison officer for SWH, said that the work was scheduled by Devon County Council and that the company had no power over when it was carried out.