A HOTELIER in Hartford fears roadworks plaguing the village will kill off trade.

School Lane will be closed for at least five months and Stephanie Vaughan, manager of Hartford Hall, said the first week of the closure did not bode well.

She said: “We’re really going to suffer, all the businesses up here are.

“We have a lot of passing trade and local customers just driving up from the dual carriageway but now the signs say the road is closed.

“We had a buffet for 40 due to arrive last week and people were asking if they could get to us – it’s worrying if people for an existing booking don’t know if they can get to us.”

She added: “Luckily the hotel has been busy and full this week because I think that’s all the customers we’ve had.”

School Lane, which links Hartford with the A556, will be closed while the major gas mains running along the road are replaced.

The roadworks are taking place at the same time as the re-working of Bradburns Lane.

Stephanie has been managing Hartford Hall, which is also a restaurant and bar, since February. She said traders were disappointed that bigger signs had not been put up saying School Lane businesses would be open as usual.

“There’s just a tiny little bit at the bottom, on the sign that says School Lane is closed,” she said.

“If they would just put us a big sign up instead of the tiny little bit.” She added: “Touch wood we’ve still been doing ok but I’m sure we would have done a lot better without this.

“We could already tell on the first day. We have been ticking over but this is going to kill us.”