A key route through the centre of a busy town for traffic seeking to gain access to the M20 motorway remains closed, despite contractors working overnight.

The A249 Sittingbourne Road was closed yesterday (Thursday) in the region of Albion Place, Maidstone, following problems with a sewage pipe.

Southern Water were today unable to give any indication of the exact nature of the problem they are investigating, nor how long the road will remain closed.

However, they have a licence from KCC Highways to keep the route closed until midnight on Wednesday, December 6.

It is only the north-bound lane that is shut.

Traffic from the Bearsted Road direction travelling south is unaffected.

The diversion for traffic headng for Sittingbourne or Sheerness or the M20 is via the A20 Ashford Road, New Cut Road and Bearsted Road, adding around two miles to the journey.

The only good news is that Albion Place Medical Centre, which was shut yesterday due to a water leak, is now fully re-opened.