ANGRY traders have slammed the council for excluding them from a pavement improvement scheme - for the second year running.

The owners of the eight affected businesses in Duckworth Street, Darwen, are fuming that block paving will not be laid outside their shops under the council's latest Blackburn Road Improvement Scheme.

Andrew Melia of Darwen Plumbing and Electrical Supplies said: "Even though all our businesses are on Duckworth Street we didn't kick up a fuss when we were left out of the original scheme because we were told we would be included in the Blackburn Road scheme.

"We just can't understand what is going on. We did not receive any notification about the latest scheme and when we complained we were told it was too late to include us.

He added: "This means our section of Duckworth Street is going to be out of keeping with the rest of the A666."

A council spokesman said the reason the two sections of Duckworth Street were not being resurfaced was because it was not essential and no money was available to fund the extra work.

He added: "All highways maintenance work has been hit hard by government cuts."

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