A stretch of road in Folkestone is being described as "the land time forgot".

More than 300 yards of it has been out of use for such a long period that residents and motorists are baffled as to what is going on.

Barriers at either end with closed signs have forced motorists to divert from Sandgate Road and then rejoin it, where the barrier closure starts, not far from Sainsbury’s car park. The other end of the closure starts at the corner of Earls Avenue and Sandgate Road.

Resident Gladys Mitchell, a retired banking official, said: "This stretch has been closed since late summer and the amazing thing is you never see a worker on site doing anything at all.

"That stretch of road just remains as it is - empty with only sea gulls pottering around on it.

"I wonder who’s paying these invisible workmen their wages? Probably the taxpayer."

When the Express visited the site a motorist was just in the process of doing a U-turn in front of the road block at the Earls Avenue end.

He was David Goodall just in from Hythe who works in Folkestone harbour.

Putting his window down, he said: "Marvellous isn’t it? This part of the road has been closed for months, but every now and again, I just can’t resist popping up to this spot, before taking the diversionary route, just to see if the barriers have come down.

"Why it has been closed all these months beats me. It’s becoming a piece of land time has forgot. Soon there will be weeds growing out of the tarmac."

Asked why the road has been closed for such a long time with very little work activity in evidence, a spokesman for Kent County Council Highways said: "We’re not to blame.

"We were initially involved when we suspected subsidence but it proved to be a sewage piping problem and so we handed over to Southern Water. Better ring and ask them."

Over at Southern Water, a spokesman said: "We’re carrying out some minor repairs there involving a sewage pipe."

If the work is minor, why is it taking so long? "Er, erm, the work has to be taken away and analysed. That’s why you can’t see anybody working there. It’s being conducted elsewhere."

What exactly is being analysed? "Er, erm, film footage taken from inside the sewer.

"That’s why nobody has seen anything. It was all down underground."

And how long have the barriers been up? "Since August I believe. But these things can’t be rushed. We’re still analysing all the film footage."

Any idea when the barriers will come down?

"We hope some time this month, but we can’t be sure," said the spokesman, before hurriedly adding: "We do appreciate everyone’s patience."