Villagers have described a series of emergency roadworks and repairs as a “disaster”.

People living in Allington near Maidstone say the works, which include CityFibre installations and South East Water repairs to a sinkhole, are causing “havoc”.

The broadband company, which is carrying out a £50m broadband project in Maidstone, has several sets of roadworks on the go until the middle of August.

Works began at the beginning of July and will last until Sunday, August 13.

A lane is closed in London Road, and until Monday, July 31, Allington Way is closed with a diversion in place to ensure a safe working area for residents and workers.

Queen’s Road also has temporary traffic lights, which were installed on Tuesday, for more than seven weeks until September 15.

Emergency repairs by South East Water have left part of Hildenborough Crescent closed until August 2, after a sinkhole reappeared at the junction with Chilham Close near Allington Primary School.

It was spotted by residents at around 5pm on July 6, just nine months after another sinkhole opened up in the same spot.

Adisham Drive resident Alan Edwards said: “For months now CityFibre has been using the grass verge between our road and London Road as a dump.

“The rubble, mud and tarmac are being dumped on the grass, and people who live along here are furious about it.

“It’s a very narrow road that’s been continually used by lorries and dump trucks, and they are not looking after the trees.

“It started around February or March and it’s approaching seven days a week.

“The roadworks have been causing havoc in Allington and across Maidstone. They’re working on Queens Road on and off for months and they use traffic lights a lot and people in the village are held up a long time at them.”

Alan, aged 81, said he understands younger generations may need faster broadband although he and wife Sandra have fast enough internet connections for what they need.

He said: “We don’t play video games or download films so we don’t need broadband this fast. It must cost a fortune to put in.

“I don’t normally complain about things like this but this has gone on so long, and it’s a really strange place to pick because it’s such a narrow road.

“It’s normally such a pleasant bit of green area and makes quite a nice entry into Maidstone.

“It’s very noisy and we often have cars and trucks parking opposite our drive so we can’t get our cars out. It really is a disaster.”

South East Water’s regional works delivery manager for Kent, Steve Jupe, said: “The road was closed for investigations into the cause of the sinkhole and to secure the safety of the public.

“We’re working closely with Kent County Council to find the cause and restore the road.

“We thank the residents and customers for their patience while these works are carried out.”

While CityFibre’s Adrian Smith said: “CityFibre is investing £50m in a full fibre network that will future-proof Maidstone’s digital infrastructure for decades to come, and we’re in close contact with Maidstone Borough Council to ensure the roll out is delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“We expect the highest standards from our build partners, which is why we are very sorry to learn of the concerns raised by a resident in Adisham Drive.

“Our local build team is now carrying out reinstatement works to ensure the area is left as we found it.

“As part of these essential works, temporary traffic lights and closures will be in place for a period of time between July and September.

“We do everything in our power to keep residents informed ahead of works starting and urge anyone to contact us directly regarding any concerns so we can thoroughly investigate them.

“Any short-term disruption will pay off tremendously in the long term when residents and businesses have access to lightning-fast and highly reliable internet services.”