A COUPLE who live on one of Blackburn's busiest roads have told how ongoing roadworks were making their lives hell.

Barry and Susan McQuirk, of Bolton Road, Ewood, hit out almost two months after workmen first arrived outside their home.

The couple, who are hoping to apply for compensation for the disruption the work has caused, claim they are being kept awake at night, have been told to park at a nearby pub and cannot get through their own front door because of the work. Susan also claims workmen swore at her when she asked what was going on.

She said: "There are quite a lot of people not happy about this. They've dug up right outside our home and a generator used for temporary traffic lights is keeping us awake most of the night.

"We can't get in through our own front door and every time you approach workmen they just swear at you. We're absolutely fed up with it."

The couple also claim their carpets are ruined because mud and debris from the site has been trampled in.

Barry went on: "Something has got to be done and I'm looking for compensation, especially for my carpets which are ruined. Their stuff is on my private land and now they're saying I can't park near my own house - this has been going on for weeks and we're absolutely fed-up with it." The contractors are working for housing developers Fairclough Homes who have to create a traffic light junction at the Fernhurst Hotel as part of a nearby development and also require a sewer system to take surface water away from the new homes.

Managing director Geoff Fogden said: "It is a condition of planning permission granted by Blackburn with Darwen Council that we construct this junction on Bolton Road and work is ongoing at the moment.

"I would like to express my sincere apologies for the disruption to local residents and those members of the public who regularly use the A666. We are currently liaising with both the local police and council to ensure the works are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. This, however, will necessitate some weekend and evening works in order to reduce the amount of disruption.

"The work is currently on schedule and should be completed in three weeks time."

Mr Fogden added that Fairclough Homes has a company policy that anyone working for them deals with the public in a courteous manner.

"We insist that anyone working on our behalf is polite and courteous where the public are concerned and although I am not aware of this particular complaint I will be looking into it."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.