A BROMLEY man has been left baffled after his road was dug up days after it was resurfaced.

Steve Thorpe lives in Plaistow Lane, which underwent a week-long resurfacing job between Lytchet Road and Lansdowne Road, completed on March 21.

The 56-year-old driving instructor says workers started digging up the brand new road surface four days after the job was finished.

Mr Thorpe said: "The council did the resurfacing job overnight for a week.

"It caused absolute mayhem but we put up with it because we were going to get a nice new road surface.

"But then it gets dug up and destroyed almost immediately.

"Why didn't they just re-do the road surface a week later?

"It is just dreadful - a complete waste of tax payers money."

The council says the extra work on March 25 was because of an emergency gas leak but Mr Thorpe, who spoke to the News Shopper two days after this, does not accept the excuse.

He said: "They started digging it up again on Monday - if there really were emergency gas works then surely they'd be done by now?

"It is all still dug up now and no one is there.

"If it was an emergency you'd think it would be done in 24 hours."

The works have caused traffic delays in the Plaistow Lane area while Mr Thorpe claims numerous residents are equally confounded.

Executive Councillor for the environment Colin Smith said: "Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, emergencies such as gas leaks can occur at any time.

"The unpredictability of emergencies being as they are, likewise the Utility Companies self evident need to attend to them as pro-actively as possible when they occur, does very frustratingly mean that excavations sometimes simply have to be made to newly laid sections of road and pavement, as in this instance."