Businesses along the Solway Coast are being devastated by ad hoc road closures of Dubmill Point, it has been claimed.

Bill James, the owner of Bank Mill Nurseries, near Mawbray, said the Allonby to Silloth road was closed when it could easily be opened and was sometimes open when it should definitely be closed.

The county council installed electronic boards at either end of the B5300 which signals the road closures.

He said: "It’s simply not good enough to switch a light on saying ‘road closed’ and leave it on for an indefinite period hoping that motorists will observe and obey."

He said many people seeing the sign go elsewhere because alternative routes are not marked, roads are narrow and seemingly lead to nowhere.

But he said his greatest concern was that the road closed sign was often left on for hours and even days at a time when it was no longer necessary.

But the county council's highways department has told Mr James that it was investigating using a camera, which would allow traffic control to view the situation and act accordingly.

Dunes Bistro at Bank Mill, the Lowther Arms at Mawbray and the Gincase at Beckfoot are all being adversely affected by the problem, Mr James said and added he was on the verging of closing Bank Mill Nurseries.

Mr James met with Councillor Keith Little, transport folio portfolio holder and members of Holme St Cuthbert’s Parish Council two weeks.

He told the group that most of the debris on the road was from repair work to the sea wall at Dubmill Point which had not been removed.

He said drains had not been cleaned and there has been a reduction in the size of drainage channels, making them less efficient.

He said there is a shortage of groynes to help break up the waves and nobody appears to be responsible for the maintenance of them.

The county council said in future debris would be removed from site and would not wash back onto the road which would mean it could be reopened quicker.

Mr James claimed nothing ha been done since the meeting and he had spoken to Workington MP Sue Hayman to put pressure on the county council to take action.

No one from the county council was available to comment.