TRANSCO has donated £1,000 to West Malling's Christmas lights fund after six months of disruption in the town centre. The gas pipeline company made the gesture "in recognition of the patience of traders and local residents" towards mains replacement work in the High Street and St Leonard's Street.

Traders have claimed that the work, which ended officially in mid-October, cost them tens of thousands of pounds in lost business.

One month ago, the Kent Messenger newspaper carried comments made by West Malling Parish Councillor Joyce Oxley in which she suggested that a contribution to a community project would serve as an appropriate apology for the disruption. She welcomed the gesture but complained that post-completion snagging problems still have not been resolved in time for Sunday's Christmas lights switching-on ceremony. Cllr Oxley said: "It's delightful news and I feel it reflects the level of difficulties we have had. The public relations department at Transco is to be commended, but that's not to say the work is completed. There are blocks in the road which wobble and are not set secure and illegal parking is taking place where yellow lines have not been replaced. We don't have a health and safety risk, but the work has to be finished."

Bob Ansell, of the Christmas lights organisation committee, was grateful for the Transco donation.

He said: "Everybody should be happy about this. We have accepted it in the spirit in which it was intended. It's a nice gesture."

Transco's asset planning manager, Dominic Cummings, said: "We accept that, in spite of our efforts to minimise disruption, there has inevitably been some impact on the traders during our essential work."