Huge delays are expected on Sheppey's roads from today after a main road is closed for repairs.

Bus operator Arriva is diverting every bus on the island from 9am today, as Minster Road is closed.

The diversions are expected to cause considerable traffic jams at key points, causing a knock-on effect on bus services throughout the island and even into Sittingbourne and Maidstone.

The road closure is expected to last for three weeks and the diversionary routes are shown on Arriva's website.

The move comes on the first day of new timetables. But Arriva says its schedules have had to be hastily re-organised, after the firm was only told of the road closure on Friday.

Arriva's publicity manager, Richard Lewis, said: "It is unfortunate that we have had no option but to divert our services on the first day of our revised timetables, which are aimed to provide some improved services and new links for our customers on the Isle of Sheppey.

"The traffic congestion which is expected to occur at places such as Cowstead Corner will inevitably have a detrimental effect on the timekeeping of our services and will negate some of the benefits which our new timetables are designed to achieve.

"We received notification of the road closure from Kent County Council only on the afternoon of September 3 and I am sorry, therefore, that we were unable to give advance warning of these diversions to our customers.

"I would suggest that if anyone is travelling to appointments or to make connections that they should allow more time for their journey while the road closure is in place."

A Kent County Council spokesman said the work involved a specialist crew, which will sink a 4m shaft to investigate a problem with a pipe.

He said the reason for the short notice to Arriva was because the specialist crew was only available at the last minute.