FURIOUS residents say their narrow terraced street has been besieged by traffic ever since roadworks resulted in the closure of a town centre route.

Hundreds of motorists are driving along Waterloo Road, Lymington, because they are no longer able to use the northern end of nearby Gosport Street.

Householders whose front doors open on to the street say they are being plagued by a non-stop stream of traffic.

The problem began shortly after Southern Gas Networks (SGN) closed Gosport Street between Cannon Street and Bridge Road to enable engineers to install a new main.

The official diversion involves a one-mile detour along Avenue Road, Southampton Road and the High Street.

However drivers seeking a shorter route in and out of the town centre are using Waterloo Road to bypass the roadworks.

Residents' spokesman Eileen Wykes said she was tired of seeing the quiet residential road being used as a rat-run.

She added: "I've been flooded three times but this is worse.

"Waterloo Road is a narrow street with no pavements and the amount of traffic all day long is driving me mad. The house rattles and I can't hear the TV because of the lorries."