Potholes have opened up on the newly-resurfaced A2 in Canterbury - just days after highways bosses celebrated completing repairs three weeks ahead of schedule.

Highways Agency engineers returned to the stretch between Brenley Corner and Harbledown this week to fix several holes, despite claims the work would prevent future closures.

The coastbound carriageway had already been shut for six weekends, sparking 40-mile diversions and a loss of trade for local businesses.

It now faces a further two nights closed so more repairs can be carried out.

Dunkirk fruit haulier Vaughan Howland says he was not surprised potholes had sprung up, accusing engineers of making a “complete hash” of the repairs.

He said: “I wasn’t surprised at all. They had so much stick they rushed to get the job done so they could shut people up.

“To me they made a complete hash of it. The diversions put in place were totally unnecessary and out of order.”

Canterbury Rugby Club chairman Giles Hilton spotted three potholes neat the Harbledown turn-off.

He said: “It’s bemusing, given the amount of work that has been carried out.

“Our vice-chairman Jonathan Marsh called me up and told me about and when I saw it for myself I just laughed, to be honest.”

Highways Agency spokesman Andrew Broughton says workers patched up the potholes on Monday.

He said from Friday the A2 between Boughton and Harbledown will be closed for two nights from 8pm to 6am to repair part of a lay-by, but denied it was because of potholes.

Cafe boss Sheila Feaver - who runs Sheila’s Kitchen near Boughton - says her staff had noticed the craters, but was just pleased business had picked back up since the road reopened.

She said: “I almost drove through one of the potholes on my way home.

“But on Saturday sales returned to normal and on Sunday we had to rope my mum in to help because we had all these new customers.

“It was a big relief when I got the phone call to say the road had been reopened and hopefully it carries on.”

As well as rebuilding sections of the carriageway, the agency resurfaced an extra 1.5 miles on the main highway and a lay-by, cleared 200 drainage gullies, renewed five miles of white lines and cut back vegetation along the verge.

The closure also allowed UK Power Networks to upgrade power lines near Dunkirk.