Villagers wanting to pop to a shop just a mile down the road have been left to battle hour-long queues due to gas works.

Chalet owners say traffic jams around their homes are a “nightmare” after Kent County Council (KCC) gave permission for a narrow country lane to act as the only route between a village and several caravan parks.

Dennis Moyce, from Warden Road in Eastchurch on Sheppey, says he hasn’t even attempted to leave his home in Beverley Park after SGN began digging up another part of Warden Road by the Eastchurch Church Of England Primary School at the beginning of the week.

The 71-year-old said: “Because of the part of Warden Road that is closed, people living in or visiting Shurland Dale Holiday Park have Plough Road as the only option to get in and out of the village.

“Lorries trying to get to the caravan parks and businesses down Plough Road are getting stuck down this tiny country lane and blocking the only route to the village.

“There is not a chance for residents to get out when this happens. It is ridiculous and absolute chaos.”

Lorries have been pictured completely filling the tiny country lane with no space for other cars to get around.

KCC has made an order to temporarily prohibit through-traffic on part of various roads in Eastchurch to allow gas main replacement works to be carried out.

The first of the closures began on Warden Road on October 23, and work is estimated to be completed by November 26.

The road is shut between the High Street and a property called The Nest.

Although there is a diversion via the High Street, Lower Road, Eastchurch Road, Chequers Road, Plough Road and vice versa, those living on the nearby caravan park claim the country lanes cannot cope with the amount of traffic.

Dennis, a retired welder, said: “I was going to head out to the shop on Wednesday but after seeing my neighbours leave and come back shortly after as there was nowhere for them to go, I decided to leave it.

“I haven’t even tried as I know it is impossible to get through if there are lorries going along Plough Road.

“All types of traffic are getting stuck. There was a caravan blocking the road at one point and, on another occasion, a lorry had to move onto a field to let traffic past.

“My friend was stuck in the queue for a little less than an hour and a half just to travel 0.5 miles down the road.

“It’s absolutely crazy to give us access to our homes though one country lane.

“Next week the kids are back to school and the gas works are right next to the school so it’s going to be an absolute nightmare, it's dangerous.”

Dennis, who moved to the area in 2015, fears the congestion along Plough Road could lead to someone losing their life.

He explained: “If someone was to have a heart attack in one of the caravan parks they’d die as an ambulance wouldn’t be able to get here.

“A fire truck or an ambulance just would not be able to get through and that means someone could die.”

Dennis has questioned what other traffic control measures could have been implemented instead to ease congestion.

He said: “Perhaps they could have had temporary traffic lights instead or done the work at night instead.

“To get to Leysdown, which is six miles away, I had to drive the 12-mile diversion and then the 6-mile trip to Leysdown.

“That is 18 miles altogether. It’s ridiculous, we don’t want to go out.”

After work is completed by SGN along Warden Road, the High Street will be closed for two weeks from Monday, October 30,

The closure, between the junction with Warden Road to the junction with Leysdown Road, is set to last until Monday, December 18.

On Monday, November 20, Leysdown Road will shut between the junction of High Street to the junction with Anne Boleyn Close.

This work is expected to take place until Friday, December 22. The final phase of the works will be on Church Road starting from Monday, November 27.

The road will not reopen until Friday, December 22 and will be closed between the junction of High Street to the junction of Rowetts Way.

The closures are required for the safety of the public and workforce while gas main replacement works are undertaken by SGN.

Bradley Barlow, spokesman for the gas distribution company, said: “We’re upgrading our gas network in the Warden Road area of Eastchurch, replacing our old metal gas mains and services with new plastic pipe.

“This essential work will ensure the local community continues to receive a safe and reliable gas supply.

“In consultation with KCC our contractor, WCB Utilities, who will be completing this project on our behalf, started work in Warden Road earlier this week. Our project is expected to last for approximately eight weeks.

“Due to the position of the pipes in the road and for the safety of everyone around our worksite, we need to temporarily close some of the roads around our work area.

“While the roads are closed, signed diversions will be in place and access will be kept for residents and businesses, which have been agreed with KCC.

“We understand people can get frustrated by roadworks and so we only use traffic management measures we feel are efficient enough to complete these works safely for ourselves and the public.”