A HEREFORDSHIRE woman has voiced her frustration after a road closure left her business, along with others in her village, in an "absolute mess".

The B4224 in Fownhope was closed every weekday for two weeks from February 12 to February 23, and has now reopened.

The Shop at Coo Corner, JB's Pet Parlour and Wye Leisure were among the businesses affected by the road closure.

Vic Cooper, who owns the Shop at Coo Corner in Fownhope said the road closure spelled disaster for her business and others in the area.

She said this had a huge impact on her small gift shop, especially as the closure ran over Valentine's Day, when trade usually picks up for her.

She said: "We have first-hand experience of the absolute mess Balfour Beatty has once again left our village residents and businesses in.

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"Balfour Beatty gave mixed messages and seem to fail to understand how busy our village is. Retail is suffering and all businesses have endured too much."

The disruption of the road closure has come despite original communication from Balfour Beatty that businesses would remain accessible to drivers via the B4224.

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However, in reality, access was only maintained for homes and businesses within the closure itself, which covered a small stretch of the road, while those wishing to access properties in the area around the closure had to travel via a diversion instead.

This sparked an apology from ward councillor Barry Durkin, who said: "I apologise for the issues that have occurred."

A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council also apologised, and said: "We apologise for any confusion or inconvenience experienced during these works. Fownhope remains open for business and we kindly ask motorists to respect our workforce while they make improvements to Herefordshire's highways."