VILLAGERS have hit out at plans to divert traffic off the A34 and through Marcham, which they claim could cause safety problems.

The Highways Agency is set to close the A34 between Hinksey Hill and Marcham for 20 nights from Monday, June 9, for urgent maintenance works - with traffic diverted via the A338 and A415, including the narrow Packhorse Lane.

Martin Thorne, 60, of Packhorse Lane, said: "The problem with Marcham is that Packhorse Lane was designed for packhorses, not the lorries we get now.

"For the last two years there has been a weight restriction on the bridges down at the Rose Revived, but since then the size of the lorries has increased.

"If two of them meet in Packhorse Lane you get a complete and utter snarl up for hours."

Diversions will be in place between 10pm and 5am Monday to Thursday, 11pm and 6am Friday, 10pm and 7am on Saturday and 11pm and 5am on Sunday.

He said: "I know you cannot immediately build a bypass, but I am dreadfully worried someone will be seriously hurt on the road.

"I think we will just have to put up with it, but I do wish something could be put in place to stop those people who speed through the village during the diversion."

While the work itself is expected to take 20 nights, it is set to be carried out over a three-month period starting on or after June 9.

Malcolm Denton, chairman of Marcham Parish Council, said: "It is totally inappropriate to have heavy goods vehicles going through these bends at that time of night. We are pretty depressed about it quite frankly."