Plans to resurface Corsham's High Street just before Christmas have been postponed.

Traders were furious when they discovered the road was due to be dug up during the prime Christmas shopping period.

Contractors have been working for several weeks laying new paving stones, and were due to start resurfacing the road on Sunday, December 9.

But North Wiltshire District Council has delayed the final resurfacing work until after Christmas, to the delight of town retailers.

Paul Bailey, of Design and Crafts, said: "Everybody is a lot happier about it, now we've heard they are not going to be digging up the road before Christmas.

"It's just a shame that the whole lot couldn't have been postponed until after Christmas as it has been going on for so long.

"If they had waited until after Christmas in the first place, everybody would have been fine about it.

"It is still pretty chaotic down by the post office. Going ahead and digging up the High Street between now and Christmas would have been a complete disaster."

Town clerk Elaine Giles said the council had been informed the work had to be delayed because it could not be completed before Christmas.

She said: "They have to lay a membrane before the new surface can go on, and there has to be dry weather for three or four days.

"They couldn't guarantee the weather and waiting any longer would have taken it too close to Christmas."

Workmen were working flat out this week to finish the paving around the town hall in time for tonight's Christmas lights switch on.

Mrs Giles said she had been promised the work would be finished and the compound moved in time for the 6pm switch on.

The works have already sparked anger in the town after the contractors' compound was sited on 12 short stay spaces in the Newlands Road car park.

It was moved following complaints from traders and shoppers about the loss of the spaces during the town's busiest trading period.