Angry Oxford shop managers and owners have branded Oxfordshire County Council a "disgrace" because of the effects of roadworks on their businesses.

The roadworks, in Cowley Road and Between Towns Road, have caused a drop in takings, noise and disruption according to business owners and managers who say that they did not receive any notification.

Hugh Anderson, owner of Hilo's restaurant, in Cowley Road, said: "It's impossible to get goods into the shop and the roadworks are noisy and dusty. Nobody gave us prior notice about the roadworks."

Mr Anderson's restaurant was also left without gas yesterday morning (April 8) as a result of the roadworks, but was reconnected by mid-afternoon.

Natasha Wilmans, assistant manager of Cowley Road's Nando's restaurant, said: "We had no kind of warning. We get big deliveries on Tuesday and Saturday, but I don't know how the delivery lorry is going to be able to deliver."

The Cowley Road works began on Monday (April 4) and are scheduled to finish in November.

Richard Garbutt, 34, owner of Ultimate Golf, in Between Towns Road, said: "The council should get their finger out. The council is inefficient and ineffective and I think that we need a proper business which can get the job done. "Our rates have been increased by £600 this year, but how can we pay them without any customers?"

Work on a 150-yard stretch of Between Towns Road was scheduled to take four weeks, but six weeks on, the road is still being worked on by gas company Transco.

Mr Garbutt's mother Dianne Garbutt, 60, said: "It's a disgrace. We rang up the council before Easter and they assured us that the work would be completed just after then. Takings are down by 20 per cent."

A council spokesman said: "The roadworks in Between Towns Road and Cowley Road are absolutely essential. There has been extensive consultation and input from local people.

"We had carefully planned the Between Towns road work to end before the Cowley Road work began. Sadly, timescales slipped with the Transco work and the job will now not be complete until next week.

"We have no hesitation in apologising for the inconvenience this is causing.

"Any people who have specific points to make should get in touch with the county council."

Keith Slater, chairman of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce said: "Any kind of roadworks are likely to cause disruption, but the improvements are necessary.

"I'm sure the county council has undertaken all they can do to minimise the impact."