MOTORISTS had to thread their way past unguarded open trenches in the road between Malmesbury and Brinkworth last Tuesday.

Workmen from an Exeter-based company, Flexer Construction, downed tools and left trenches more than 150 metres long and half a metre wide unmanned in three places.

Workers who were laying telecommunication cables stopped working when they learnt the company which employed them, had gone bankrupt.

Then a firm which had hired out the traffic lights used at the roadworks arrived at the scene and removed the lights, leaving the trenches open and unguarded.

Wiltshire County Council's roads officer Don Jest said: "We had a number of complaints. It was irresponsible of the firm to take away their traffic lights and put the public at risk."

He said another company had reinstated the traffic lights and had filled two of the trenches with stone and tarmac at the weekend. It was hoped further work will be completed in three weeks.

The roadworks were necessary because Colt Communications is currently expanding its fibre-optic network across Wiltshire.

A company spokesman said: "Our project managers are working hard to try and ensure that the roadworks cause as little inconvenience as possible to local residents."