PART of the main road through Wheatley has been shut for three weeks for Thames Water work - but none of the residents were told about it.

A section of Ladder Hill was closed to all traffic on Monday for sewage repairs after a long-running problem which had seen engineers called out 14 times in the last two years.

But the first that anyone knew of the full closure was when they returned home from work on Monday to find they had no option but to turn around and find another route and face a three-mile diversion.

Liz Wickens, whose house is near the affected area, said it was 'absolute bedlam'.

The 48-year old editor, said: “We are all really upset about how it has been handled by Thames Water.

“They have known for a very long time that they have to do this work but it has just been handled badly.

“People arriving down the road were having to turn around and take a pretty lengthy deviation through Horspath through a very unsuitable road.”

She added that community police officers were called to assist but that they had no fore warning of the road closure either and said: "It is a bit of a shambles.”

Nearby resident and marketing advisor Emily Trump, 36, said: “For some of the elderly residents on the street it probably was a bit of a shock.

“Some didn’t even know about it until yesterday morning.”

Writer Ben Thatcher, aged 38, said: “It would have been good to know more about it before it started.

“We heard about it through a neighbour but we didn’t get a letter or anything.

“For me it’s alright because I walk to the village but I think it’s more of a problem for residents further down the hill. It wasn’t very well advertised.”

Teacher Michelle Gregory, aged 64, said: “They have to do it because the sewer is broken. It is short term disruption but it it has to be done.

“The only problem is that they haven’t communicated the works, there were no road signs put up until yesterday morning.”

Thames Water said that the work was required to prevent sewer flooding and that letters which should have been sent 12 weeks in advance were not, blaming 'human error' for contractors not sending the letters.

Spokeswoman Sarah Sharpe said: “We’re really sorry residents weren’t told about our work, they should have been and this is our mistake.

“Our teams have been out to talk to people on Tuesday and will be doing their best to get the sewer repaired and the road reopened as soon as possible.”

The repairs are expected to be completed by October 14.