CONTRACTORS working for Wessex Water agreed to leave a site in Devizes last Thursday after the town became gridlocked with traffic.

Queues of vehicles stretched down Caen Hill in one direction and along London Road in the other after workers from Avent Engineering, working for Wessex Water, set up at The Nursery, between the Town Bridge and the entrance to Kennet District Council's headquarters last Thursday morning.

After discussions with local police, the contractors agreed to pack up and return in the evening. Traffic flow immediately returned to normal.

A spokesman for Wessex Water said: "We needed to carry out an urgent sewer repair in the Nursery, but I don't think it was realised how busy traffic is in Devizes on market day."

Workmen worked from 8pm on Thursday night until 6.30am on Friday morning to try to identify the sewer problem.

Inspector Pete Bowerbank of Devizes Police said: "It takes very little to cause traffic chaos in Devizes these days. We spoke to the contractors and they were extremely co-operative."