SHOPS and businesses in two villages have appealed for compensation after claiming a road closure led to takings plummeting by up to 60 per cent.

Shopkeepers in Read and Simonstone insist they have lost thousands of pounds since safety work started on the Devil's Elbow, on the A671, near Whalley, on July 19. Several businesses had hoped to launch claims to recover some of the lost earnings from Lancashire County Council, whose highways department is carrying out the work.

But County Hall said businesses were not entitled to compensation because the work didn't infringe on their legal rights.

Businesses say passing trade all but disappeared overnight when highways bosses closed Whalley Road, which connects the villages to Burnley, Whalley and the Ribble Valley, to ensure safety work could be carried out undisturbed by traffic.

A diversion took traffic via the A680 Accrington/Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, the A678 Burnley Road and A6068 Barowford Road.

It was hoped businesses could return to normal last weekend when the eight-week work was scheduled to stop, but recent torrential rain delayed the completion date by another week.

The road is due to re-open tomorrow following bridge strengthening and road re-alignment work.

Asif Karolia, who owns Kams Service Station in Simonstone, said: "We really should be compensated for this. My takings are down by between 50 and 60 per cent and I can barely afford to pay the staff.

"Wages have to be paid whether there is business here or not - and at the moment there isn't.

"All the businesses are finding it difficult to pay out bills, mortgage and business rates. It's unfair that we're getting no compensation through no fault of our own."

Paul Morton, part-owner of Grangers Bakery, in Whalley Road, Read, said the roadworks have had a disastrous effect on business.

He explained: "The passing trade is simply not passing anymore. We must be down by 40per cent, and if the road remains closed much longer we probably won't survive.

"My accountant has applied for a claim form to retrieve some of the lost money from the council. But they told him we've got a very slim chance."

Bosses at Read Car Show, next to Kams Service Station, said they have been particularly hard hit because they rely almost solely on passing trade.

Part-owner John McAulay said: "We usually sell around 25-30 cars a month. We've probably sold about 10 in the two months since the road closed. People are turning away from the village because they see a sign that says 'Road Closed' - they don't necessarily see the smaller sign that says 'businesses open as usual."

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said: "Liability only arises where a claimant is the victim of something such as negligence, nuisance or breach of duty, or where statute explicitly gives the victim a right to compensation. In this case, there would be no right to compensation."

"We intend to extend the resurfacing work next year, but it is highly unlikely that the road would need to be closed again.

"We appreciate that the maintenance work and road closure may have inconvenienced local residents and traders, but the summer months were chosen to coincide with the school holidays and longer working days."