BUSINESSES in Audley fear being cut off from customers and suppliers after Dickens Street was closed following three floods in eight days.

Owners now fear for their firm’s future unless action is taken to restore access to their premises and provide compensation for lost trade.

Last week Dickens Street flooded twice in two days despite United Utilities spending millions of pounds in the area last year on a flood protection scheme causing massive disruption.

It promised the problem had been fixed but over the weekend further flooding hit the road leading to fears of a highway collapse. It was officially closed on Monday night.

Ali Ansar, of A and J Cash and Carry, said: “This is a disaster. They are talking about the road surface collapsing and it taking one or two months to put right.

“My customers and suppliers cannot get in our out. I could go bust.”

Steve Townsend, director of next door precision engineers CDM UK, said: “I can’t get any supplies in or products out. My business cannot operate. This never happened before the works last year.”

Khuram Ishaq, whose family owns ten units on small business park on Dickens Street, said: “This is a nightmare. My tenants and other business and residents are effectively cut off.”

Senior Blackburn councillor and MP Jack Straw’s secretary Damian Talbot said after visiting the site: “There are 20 businesses affected. This is an issue that needs resolving quickly.”

John Martin from United Utilities said: “We’ve had to put an emergency road closure on Dickens Street for the safety of passing vehicles. We should have this removed by Wednesday.

“We will still continue to have a presence on site, whilst we carry out survey work on the sewer network to identify any defects which is causing this flooding. Our aim is to have the survey and any repair work on the sewer network completed within the next March.

“They may notice our vehicles and people on site, but access will be given back so everyone can get on with their usual routine.”