WORKERS fear they could lose their jobs after roadworks were started without notice outside an industrial estate.

Their bosses say the roadworks, which will last for around two weeks, will stop deliveries coming in and out of Firwood Works, Bradshaw.

Derek Crompton, the 68-year-old owner of Bradshaw Builder's Merchants, says he may have to make some of his 14 employees redundant.

Bosses of the five companies affected are angry that Bolton Council's highways department gave none of the businesses any notice that the resurfacing work was about to start.

Mr Crompton said: "I might lose my business over this because we depend on our deliveries going out and even if we take the diversions, it's going to be very congested. We have not been given any time to find our suppliers an alternative route for lorries coming in.

"I employ 14 people and I'm fearing for their jobs."

Neil Topping, the 39-year-old manager at Tyne Insulation, said: "We only started the business on July 5 and we are enraged about this. The first I knew about it was when I couldn't find my way into work on Monday morning.

"I had to drive through a housing estate and through some bollards to get here so the delivery drivers will have no chance. There are no directions telling you where to go."

Barry Hart, aged 57, owner of Hartech, a garage that repairs Porsches, said: "We had eight customers coming to collect and drop off cars yesterday and none knew how to find us. It's a nightmare and the diversions are a waste of space."

Maureen Atkinson, aged 42, works at AJR Elsworth Ltd, a timber merchants. She said: "There are no signs until you hit the lights at Crompton Way when it's too late to turn around. We have a lot of wagons come down here and many customers are not from Bolton so they don't know their way around. We know we have already lost one customer and expect there are others."

Staff at NC Brown said they had experienced similar difficulties.

A spokesman from Bolton Council said: "We are aware of concerns and we are trying to complete this work as quickly as possible."

The roadworks are having a knock-on effect on traffic in the surrounding areas.

Motorists reported long delays in Crompton Way, Bury Road and Tonge Moor Road during yesterday afternoon's rush hour.