THOUSANDS of drivers faced days of disruption after roadworks on a busy Colchester junction.

Queues built up in Old Heath, the Whitehall Industrial Estate and the Hythe after temporary traffic lights were installed on Old Heath Road and Abbots Road.

A hole was dug on Thursday morning by BT Open Reach engineers, but they left in the afternoon.

The site was cordoned and the traffic lights continued to cause tailbacks.

Michael and Janet Read’s home is partly blocked by the roadworks.

Mr Read said: “They didn’t have the courtesy to tell us what they were doing and they have blocked the whole front of our property. If they are still there when Old Heath Primary School returns, there will be a major problem.”

“This should have been finished, but it has just been left when they should have been working on it.”

Father Richard Tillbrook, from St Barnabas Church in Abbot’s Road, was unhappy it had been left making life difficult for residents.

He said: “There have been queues up Old Heath and Abbot’s Road and the frustration is when nothing is happening.

“People suffer the queues, but don’t see the work being done. It is just a little hole and there did not need to be this disruptive.”