TRADERS are urging utilities companies to work with the town after more than a week of chaos caused by a burst water main and damaged sewer in Northwich.

Shopkeepers in Witton Street say they are at the end of their tether after the disruption caused by work in Meadow Street.

This work has stopped Royal Mail vans from accessing the sorting office car park, forcing them to park in the Watermans car park, in Venables Road, and reducing the number of spaces for shoppers.

It has also prevented buses from accessing the stop in Witton Street, outside the Quayside pub, and caused problems with a pipe crossing the road by its junction with Meadow Street.

"I'm at the end of my tether trying to get them to do things," said Phil Bower, from Northwich Art Shop.

"If I was going to sum it up I would say to utilities companies and companies that dig up our roads, they need to take responsibility for their works and work with Northwich not against us."

Phil said United Utilities had taken a temporary supply of clean water from a standpipe at the junction of Meadow Street and Witton Street but that the protection of the pipe was not being maintained.

"They've just not looked after it at all," Phil said.

"They put some big rubber ramps down but they move when the cars drive over them and United Utilities don't respond when you ring and say 'you need to sort something out'.

"They put sandbags down full of soil and grit and the Melting Pot Cafe has a broken window because one of the stones caught a tyre and flicked up.

"I'm trying not to put my whinging trader hat on but sometimes it seems to be them and us."

A spokesman for United Utilities explained that work started with an urgent repair to a leaking water pipe.

He said: "There was a water burst in one of the pipes and when it burst it damaged a nearby sewer.

"There has been quite an extensive dig to do and we are on with trying to repair that.

"One set of works has cleared away but we're continuing to work on the sewer.

"We are still going to be working there and have to apologise for the inconvenience."