Traffic in Preston was reduced to crawling pace this week as two of the city's busiest streets were down to one lane only.

Friargate was being dug up by the county council for resurfacing while Corporation Street was having water mains repaired.

Traffic entering the area faced a spaghetti system of diversions, leaving shopkeepers and motorists alike fuming at the decision to run both major roadworks at the same time.

Les Fox, 42, of Reproduction Prints, Friargate, said: "I know they have got to do the roads so there are going to be problems. But to do it before they have finished Corporation Street is ludicrous.

"That is the big problem at the moment, I can't believe that nobody thought of this."

One shopworker in Friargate said she had to wait 45 minutes extra for her lift home after it was delayed by the diversion.

Work in Corporation Street, by United Utilities, is set to finish on June 9. But the Friargate work which started on Monday, May 19, is likely to last until July.

With parking bays coned off, shopkeepers face at least another two weeks with no 'passing trade' to rely on.

John Shaw, 54, of Something's Brewing, has worked in Friargate for 20 years. He said he has already seen a drop in customers.

Mr Shaw said: "From when it started in earnest I saw nobody. That was from 1.30pm until I left at 5.15pm. And this morning I haven't had one person through my door.

"There's a parking bay here but they have put all the cones out to close it."

He complained about having to carry heavy stock from around the back of his store and added: "Now I have got to deliver it to Lytham St Anne's and I can't even get my car to the front to load it up."

The problem is hampered by the many bus stops which bring the traffic to a complete standstill causing a virtual gridlock during the rush hour.

Mr Fox added: "It's going to be a problem for people walking. The whole road is in such a state you just wouldn't want to walk down this way.

A spokesman for the county council said: "Both sets of work are essential and have been carefully planned to cause as little disruption as possible on the streets around Friargate."

He said the county council had worked closely with United Utilities to get the work done as efficiently as possible and added: "In order to cause as little disruption as possible United Utilities will carry out their work on Friargate at the same time as the county council is resurfacing the road. This means that two sets of work will be done in the same time with no extra disruption to traffic."