A ROAD closure in Otley is causing long tailbacks and an upsurge in rat-running.

Charles Street has been shut since Monday, September 4 to allow a six week gas mains replacement scheme to get underway.

The work by Northern Gas Networks, which will also involve phases in Walkergate and Boroughgate, represents an £80,000 infrastructure investment.

It is regarded by many as an essential upgrade, but motorists have found themselves stuck in long queues - and some have resorted to cutting through narrow back streets.

Resident John Burland said: "This has been causing chaos each afternoon since it started - between about 4pm and 6pm everyone trying to get through town is just queuing way back.

"Coming in from the Leeds side, because nothing can turn right onto Charles Street it's just holding everyone up tremendously - with traffic queuing right back past Tate Oils.

"And it's just as bad coming from the other direction.

"People have started cutting down Albion Street and back roads like Crow Lane to avoid the traffic, so it's causing rat-running."

Otley Town Council Chair Councillor Ray Georgeson (Lib Dem, Danefield) said he sympathised with those affected, but believes the benefits will be worth it.

He said: "My understanding is that the gas works are desperately needed and need a 'once and for all' approach to getting them done, rather than the constant patching up of recent years.

"I suspect this is just something to be endured for a few weeks.

"However, rat-running down Crow Lane doesn't really help anyone - it simply creates stress down that already very narrow thoroughfare."

The town's ward Councillors are also aware of the disruption but Councillor Sandy Lay (Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon) warned there were no easy solutions.

He said: "Whenever there are problems on Charles Street and Walkergate, Crow Lane and Side Copse suffer.

"Rat-running in Otley is a consistent and unfortunate blight on our residents living in our narrow, pre-combustion engine era streets.

"Solving it, however, is difficult both logistically and legally.

"Public roads mean everyone has the right to drive down them and traffic calming can be expensive, disproportionate and counter productive.

"Despite this Colin, Ryk and I continue to explore solutions."

Cllr Lay added that enforcing existing Access Only restrictions had proven difficult due to the Neighbourhood Policing Team having limited resources.