NATIONAL Rail has apologised after it was "late filing permits" for works carried out on a Herefordshire road.

Herefordshire Council issued an "emergency closure" notice for the B4348 at Tram Inn yesterday (September 11), despite the works having begun on September 7.

They said their reason for the late notice was that "National Rail was late filing permits".

The closure is scheduled to remain in place until September 13 as National Rail complete "essential work".

A spokesperson for National Rail issued an apology and said: "We set ourselves the highest standards in terms of communicating details of upcoming work in a timely manner with our lineside neighbours and local authorities. Unfortunately, in this case we fell short of those standards and we apologise.

"The work being carried out at Tram Inn will be finished by next weekend. It is part of a wider series of essential work on the Marches Line taking place on three weekends this September to improve the safe and reliable running of the railway."

Richard Appleton, who lives near the closure, wrote to the Hereford Times expressing his concerns about the lack of communication. Yesterday morning he said: "The B4348 road has been closed for several days without notice being given to locals who are significantly affected.

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"There also appears to be no reference to this on the Herefordshire Council highways website, although Google Maps is showing the road as closed."

Information of the closure has since been added to Herefordshire Council's website and social media, and says that the road is closed from the A465 to Haywood Road for track renewal works by Network Rail.

Delays are likely in the area, with any diversion signposted locally, the council says.