SCENES of chaos unfolded when lorries got stuck in a rural village after being diverted due to flooded roads.

The closure of the A35 at Winterbourne Abbas caused disruption in Abbotsbury with articulated lorries and HGVs driving along the B3157.

Angry residents and businesses say the narrow roads are not suitable for the dozens of heavy vehicles, which were using the route during the closure.

Sue and Nigel Melville, who run Wheelwrights Bed and Breakfast, said many of the lorries got stuck on the tight corner with traffic backed-up all along Rodden Row and Market Street.

Mrs Melville said: “That corner is always awkward for people who don’t know it and when the diversion was in place it was complete chaos.

“On Monday it was horrendous, there was no let up at all in the traffic. It looked like the M1, not a quiet little village.”

She added: “We hung hand-decorated sails all around the village ready for the Olympic torch relay on Thursday and one got ripped by a lorry.

“Hopefully we can get it repaired in time but it’s such a shame after all the effort everyone has put in.

“Some of the others had to be taken down to stop them getting damaged as well.”

Mr Melville said: “I appreciate the A35 was closed but someone should have been saying that this isn’t an alternative route for these big vehicles.

“They’ve actually broken the pavement on the corner where it’s raised up, it had to be repaired on Tuesday.

“I’ve tried phoning the authorities but the police say speak to the council and the council say speak to the police.”

Many vehicles were also mounting the pavement, causing a hazard for pedestrians on the blind bend.

Barbara Laurie, a resident, said: “There was no traffic control at all, no one had been out.

“It was a complete nightmare for vehicles and pedestrians.”

Lyn Halfhead, owner of Abbots-bury Tea Rooms, said: “It was awful on Tuesday and even worse on Monday.

“In the evening there were two lorries stuck on the bend for ages.

“My partner Roger went out to try and get them round the corner, it was ridiculous.

“Some of them were inches away from the side of the buildings and gutter, I’m surprised none of them clipped it.”

Mandy Quincey, Abbotsbury butcher, said: “Some of the lorries were just huge, not at all suitable for these roads.

“They got stuck and couldn’t get round the corner and then the cars had to wait which is causing more problems.

“It was a knock-on from the floods, which we could really have done without.”

Residents warned to remain vigilant

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said: “The closure of the A35 and the diversion is the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

“The diversion route for HGVs is via the A37 and A303, which takes them a long way out of their way.

“Many may be making their own decisions on using the B3157 and there’s no physical or legal barrier to this.

“Any damage done is the responsibility of the driver and if they are driving on inappropriate roads then they should be aware of this. We are monitoring the coast road and are aware of the situation, it will probably be the council which will have to put right anything that’s damaged.

“It would be helpful if members of the public can report any damage to the county council.”

To report damage call 01305 221020 or visit dorsetforyou. co.uk Dorset Police is issuing advice after the severe flooding that affected large areas of the county.

Chief Superintendent David Griffith said: “Continuous heavy rain over the weekend in Dorset resulted in a large number of calls relating to floods being received by the Dorset Police control room.

“Contingency plans were in place to deal with such adverse weather conditions.

“Dorset Police work with our partner agencies within the Local Resilience Forum, with the Environment Agency being the lead with regards to flood related issues.

“We would like to encourage members of the public to be vigilant and in the event of the return of this weather to: n Check websites and traffic bulletins for updates regarding road closures and problem areas before they travel.

n Be aware the flooding is often rapid and therefore the latest information available may not be completely up to date.

n Take care when entering water to check how deep it is and how fast it is flowing, and do not take unnecessary risks.

n Do not call the emergency services to ask about road closures as this may cause a delay in dealing with urgent calls.