A man says roadworks destroyed his life, wrecked his livelihood and tore apart the relationship with his girlfriend and son.

Mark Murray owns Medway Express Tyre Service in Cuxton Road, Strood, but his usual brisk trade came to an abrupt halt in September and October when roadworks meant motorists could not get to his business without at least a five-mile detour via the M2.

The 37-year-old lost around £35,000 during the six-week period Medway Council commissioned work on Darnley Arch.

He said: “It absolutely ruined my life. I’d be sat at the garage all day and not see a single car go past. Even when the roadworks finished, for a good two weeks people didn’t seem to know and still avoided the road.

“It put a strain on my relationship with my girlfriend and the stress of it all made me ill.
“In the end neither of us could take any more, I couldn’t support my family and she left.”

Mr Murray, of Tern Crescent, Strood, now only sees his son at weekends.

He said he tried doing customer offers, but with so many garages in the area people were not willing to risk the traffic or detour when they could go somewhere else.

The garage, based on Ballard Business Park, got back on track soon after the roadworks ended, but Mr Murray is not earning enough to clear the debt.

He was forced to let two of his six employees go and his manager is working on half a salary, while he has not taken a wage himself for months.

He owes money to car parts and tyre companies and is hundreds of pounds into his overdraft and credit cards.

"I want to fight for this, it’s all I have left now" - businessman Mark Murray

Is it now reaching the point when he will either have to sell his house, or give up the business, he said.

The former Kwik-Fit and AA mechanic set up the garage three years ago.

He added: “I did consider liquidation, but I want to fight for this, it’s all I have left now.”

Mr Murray and his accountant have been in talks with the council for compensation for months but he says they keep getting fobbed off.

A Medway Council spokesman said: “It appears unusual that Mr Murray’s company undertook absolutely no work at all for two months when other companies found alternative routes where necessary.

“Councils and other bodies have to dig up roads from time to time, but we do work with freight associations, bus companies and the public to advertise and signpost alternative routes well in advance so everyone can plan alternative routes, as we did in this case.”