Hundreds have signed a petition calling for a rethink on plans to close an important stretch of road for six weeks.

Highways bosses intend to shut Broad Street - a section of the Canterbury Road south of Lyminge - to allow roadworks necessary for the installation of drainage to a new-build housing development to take place.

They say a complete closure - which begins on Monday - is necessary "for the safety of the public and workforce while drainage works are undertaken".

However, people living locally are furious at the disruption ahead.

Opponents of the plans say the recommended diversion will more than double the distance for a car journey from Folkestone to Lyminge.

There are also concerns about congestion on local traffic 'rat-runs', the impact on the 17 bus route, and the risk that emergency vehicles will face delays if they need to reach the village.

Mark Barrett, whose petition calling for the closure to be scrapped has been signed by more than 900 people, feels there has been a lack of community consultation by the highways authority, Kent County Council.

The 42-year-old IT manager, who lives in Lyminge, said: "The road was closed last year for a few days and it caused havoc.

"Last time we had a number of lorries and vans getting stuck down these small lanes."

Fellow villager Lynne Collis said: "There are many safety concerns for villagers, but the ones which pose the highest potential threat to life are the risks of delayed access by the emergency services.

"They will only be able to get to Lyminge via single-tracked roads with passing places.

"During a shorter closure last year we saw many traffic jams. This year the fire engines and ambulances would be competing with harvest-time farm machinery as well as other village traffic."

During the period the road is shut the direct 17 bus route between Canterbury and Folkestone will be severed, with a shuttle service operating from either side of the closure north to Canterbury and south to Folkestone.

A spokesman for Stagecoach said: "Our local team has been working hard on this to get the best service possible for our customers during the closure."

A Kent County Council spokesman said: "The road closure has been designed to minimise disruption as much as possible in the long-run and has been timed to coincide with the school holidays, where there is usually less traffic on the roads.

"KCC has shared details of this closure with stakeholders, including public transport providers to ensure everyone is aware of the planned roadworks.

"The council endeavours to work proactively with contractors to reduce disruption and drive forward progress so these works can be completed as quickly as possible, while keeping road users, workers and the public safe."