Residents fear drivers will ignore temporary diversions during major roadworks, and use narrow village lanes as rat runs.

Oxfordshire County Council plans to close a stretch of the A417, between Upton and Blewbury, near Didcot, for seven weeks from September 10 for repairs and resurfacing.

Limited access for emergency services, public transport and residents will be maintained but other traffic will be encouraged to make a 13-mile detour.

Some west-bound traffic along the main Reading-Wantage road will be diverted via Streatley to the Wallingford Bypass.

But residents at East and West Hagbourne, Harwell and Didcot, claim it is unrealistic to expect drivers to follow such extensive and widespread diversions. They believe motorists and lorry drivers will be tempted to take a short-cut through nearby villages - reducing the diversion to only four miles by turning off the A417 at West Hagbourne or at Blewbury.

Lynne Carter, who lives on Main Street, West Hagbourne, said: "The road outside my home is so narrow, drivers already have difficulty passing and are constantly clipping each other's wing mirrors.

"Despite a weight restriction, West Hagbourne is used as a through route by heavy goods vehicles."

Arshad Khan, county council area traffic engineer, said: "We hope larger vehicles will use the signposted diversion routes."

County councillor Mr Patrick Greene agreed the roadworks would create difficulties. But he said traffic engineers "are taking every possible step to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum".