MOTORISTS in Maidstone are facing severe delays this week because of a gas leak.

Traffic in the town centre is slowed almost to a standstill during rush-hours because of road works on part of the town's one-way system.

Two lanes of Fairmeadow, at the junction with Broadway, were closed from Sunday night when Transco detected a gas leak in pipes running under the road.

Workmen have been carrying out repairs in the area, and it was expected these would end by Friday.

A spokeswoman for Transco said: "We have had to close two lanes for safety reasons. We realise that it's a major bottleneck for traffic.

"We are working extended hours in order to carry out the work, and it does sometimes run into peak time. We apologise for any inconvenience."

There was no loss of supply as a result of the gas leak.

Although Kent County Council highway contractors began a three-month road resurfacing project in The Broadway at the beginning of September, it is not thought to be responsible for the delays.

Affected roads - including the busy one-way triangle around Tonbridge Road, Terrace Road and Rocky Hill - will be open between 6am and 7pm on weekdays and Saturdays. Most work will be done at the weekends.