VILLAGERS have been left despairing after a main road was left “falling apart” weeks after it was resurfaced for a second time to fix problems.

Essex Highways was forced to apologise after surface dressing works carried out on the A134 Nayland Road, as well as Lexden Road and Circular Road South in Colchester town centre, did not work.

Stones laid by the contractor failed to stick to the surface, below resulting in excessive dust and loose chippings which some residents branded dangerous.

Remedial works took places to rectify the problem earlier this summer - and the contractor footed the bill.

But now residents claim the A134 is breaking up and have branded the process a “fiasco”.

One villager said: “Less than a month after all work was finally complete we now find that the road surface is falling apart quite dramatically.

“Large sections now have holes of three and four feet in length. There are at least ten holes.

“The surface is like this between Boxted Church Road and Great Horkesley Post Office - a stretch of half a mile.

“If it is like this after four or five weeks in the summer imagine the condition by the time the winter arrives.”

At the time of the issues Essex Highways said “the lessons from this short period have been well learned”.

Kevin Bentley, the county council’s infrastructure boss, said: “We are very aware of these problems on the A134 and we are continually monitoring the road to ensure that any problems with the recent surfacing do not cause any safety issues.

“The very hot recent weather has unfortunately resulted in some material melting which may account for the majority of these problems.

“Engineers are evaluating the extent and nature of any continuing issues and I will ensure that appropriate action is taken.”