A BUSINESS owner at a Basingstoke craft centre said she has lost customers this week because of roadworks.

Hampshire County Council has been carrying out work to Viables Roundabout which started last Friday, and a diversion is in place for customers and staff to access Viables Craft Centre during the works from 9.30am to 4pm.

But Alison Clement, who owns Alison's Wonderland, claims the signs are confusing, adding: "I'm incensed. It's just ridiculous."

Mrs Clement said this week would normally be particularly busy for her shop, with customers coming to buy presents and cards for teachers.

But she said the works have meant the entire craft centre, in The Harrow Way, has been deserted.

She added: "The signs are so bad so people don't know where they are going. It's been very quiet. Last Friday when they started there was a Weight Watchers meeting in the morning that's always really busy. But they closed it off completely between the two roundabouts and were turning people away. I went down there and asked them to remove the totally closed road signs."

Mrs Clement has created her own sign saying the centre is still open, but she added: "People are still reluctant to come down the road because of the road closure signs all over the place. It just doesn't make any sense. This should be my busiest week."

She said the roadworks have now overrun and will not be finished until today or Monday.

Mrs Clement has complained to Hampshire County Council, and said other business owners have done the same, but she said no one has heard back.

The works are part of the council's Operation Resilience scheme, which aims to make more of Hampshire's road resilient to the effects of extreme weather and increasingly heavy traffic as part of a long term strategy.

Councillor Seán Woodward, executive member for economy, transport and environment at Hampshire County Council, said: “We are due to complete the resurfacing work on Viables roundabout later today. There was a road closure in place - but our highways team deliberately placed this beyond the entrance of the Viables Craft Centre to ensure access was maintained. Signs saying ‘Businesses Open As Usual’ were also placed on the diversion route.

“On Monday, highways teams will be returning to the Golden Lion roundabout to apply an essential anti-skid treatment following recent resurfacing works there, and this will need a road closure for one day.”