ANGRY hoteliers claim they have been left out of pocket after the latest roadworks kept guests awake until 3am.

Some guest house owners have been giving partial refunds as they fear their customers will not return after the resurfacing works on Weymouth seafront this week.

And businesses in Buxton Road said their income is being hit again with a one-way system in place while Wessex Water renovates a water main until December 16.

Dave Price, chairman of the Weymouth Hotel and Guest House Leaseholders Association, who owns the Molyneux guest house in Waterloo Place off the seafront, said: “The whole place was shaking and everything was vibrating. It’s absolutely outrageous and the few guests we’ve got are complaining.”

Neighbour Nick Pollard at the Seaham said his guests were complaining so he gave them some of their money back.

He said: “It was horrendous with the whole building vibrating when they were steam rolling outside. We don’t understand why they had to do it during the night.

“It was absolutely shocking.”

Dorset County Council chose to carry out the resurfacing at night to minimise disruption but the hoteliers feel it maximised the negative effect on them.

Ray Cousins from the Beachcomber, also in Waterloo Place, is writing to the council for compensation.

He said: “They said ‘some inconvenience’ will be caused but that’s like calling the Second World War a slight altercation. They had a vehicle the size of a tank 10ft away from the bedroom. They also had a tractor repeatedly beeping in reverse.”

Charlotte Weaver, further down the Esplanade at the Concorde Hotel, said: “It’s been dreadful and I didn’t sleep on one of the nights. It started at one and went on until three.”

A Dorset County Council spokesman said the resurfacing of the Esplanade had been completed on schedule within four nights with the fifth and final night last night spent lining and marking.

He said: “We appreciate that doing this work at night inevitably causes a certain level of noise and disturbance however all properties and businesses in the immediate vicinity are informed in advance.

“The council, as a highway authority, has a statutory duty to maintain the highway and is not obliged to compensate businesses for loss of trade while performing this duty.”

'My business is empty due to lack of trade'

BUXTON Road will be one-way due to work by Wessex Water up until December 16.

Robbie Feltham, owner of the Kingswood guest house, said his business was empty due to the lack of passing trade.

He said: “It means effectively that I’m shut.

“Our business is limited at this time of year but we do stay open.”

Mr Feltham is among the business owners who say they have been hit by the roadworks carried out for the Olympic Transport Package which saw the town’s roundabouts changed into traffic light junctions.

He said: “We can’t possibly ever pick up all the trade we’ve lost.

“We’re never going to get it back.”

A Wessex Water spokesman said: “By using a technique that avoided the need for excavations we didn’t have to fully close the road to traffic and it allows us to complete work sooner.”

She added signs had been put up saying businesses are open.