An artisan chocolate shop has anticipated meltdown during weeks of roadworks which take place right outside.

So the specialist West Malling retailer says it has no option other than to close temporarily for three weeks.

The £226,000 road scheme involves replacing old, metal gas mains with new plastic pipes, in a bid to make the town’s supply more reliable.

Suzanne Cackombe owns The Chocolate Umbrella in the High Street, which specialises in handmade confectionary and retro sweets.

She told the Kent Messenger: “Being a chocolate shop we have an open counter so the dust coming in from the roadworks would have posed a health and safety risk.

“The last time they did roadworks it was very noisy and I don’t think people will come down here. The decision to close was not an easy one but the right one in the circumstances.

“Summer is a busy period for us with lots of visitors down for the day. Obviously we are upset and it is all very well complaining, but the next time we lose our gas supply in the middle of the winter people will be up in arms, so we do understand.”

The shop will reopen on Saturday, August 15.

The work is being carried out in two phases, each lasting a week and a half.

The first involves closing the High Street from NatWest bank to the junction with Swan Street; the second will see Swan Street shut from the High Street junction to the Swan Street cafe.

Contractors began on Monday,the same day as five weeks of gas main replacement works got underway in East Malling High Street.

The work also coincided with Operation Stack with the M20 shut this week.

Amy Barker runs Monks & Co Clothing in Swan Street.

She said: “As soon as the big signs went up telling people about the road closure trade eased off. People were steering clear even before the work began.

“We have seen trade slowing and we are 30% down on what I would have expected to see at this time of year. The biggest thing you notice is the number of free car parking spaces.”

A gas spokesman said: “We do have a compensation scheme in place for local businesses which suffer a genuine loss of trade because of our work.”

There is a diversion via St Leonards Street, A228, A20 and Town Hill.