Shop owners and businesses say work to install a new gas in Rottingdean High Street is harming their livelihoods.

Pubs, shops, garages, banks and estate agents have been hit as traffic is barred from the village centre while the work is carried out.

Signs proclaiming the village shops are open for business have failed to convince customers.

The sign outside the Black Horse pub says: "Open as usual - archaelogists welcome".

A video shop has closed down and it is feared others could follow.

Ken Humphreys, chairman of Rottingdean Traders Association, who runs the local Post Office said: "A lot of shops are just ticking by. This could tip them over the edge.

"Everybody has been affected and this is just after one week of what is scheduled to be an eight-week job."

Traders say not enough men have been allocated to the job by contractors working for gas firm Transco.

Peter Ghazal, owner of Denes Motors, said: "It took them three days just to put up signs which said the whole of the High Street was closed.

"They should have teams of men working flat out. It would pay me to provide some of my men to get the job done more quickly.

"Because they have a road closure for eight weeks they think they have plenty of time and don't need to work quickly.

"There are between 95 and 100 businesses in the High Street and some will not be there if the work is not speeded up."

Graham Wild, his service manager, said: "We knew the High Street was going to be closed, but we did not think it was going to be this bad."

Keith Langan, operations manager for Transco, said: "The work will take between six and eight weeks and we are ahead of schedule.

"We have put this off for five years and have been in contact with local traders. We wanted to start before Christmas, but the traders wanted it done after Christmas."