Bosses at Thames Water have pledged to keep residents of Oxford's Botley Road fully in the picture as the starting date for major roadworks approaches.

Families and shopkeepers took to the streets last month to protest about the company's lack of communication about its future work schedule.

Major traffic congestion on the main western entry to the city is predicted when water main replacement work starts in July. Traders fear the work will mean a drastic drop in business, and say the short notice about the roadworks has prevented them from planning accordingly.

But at an 'open house' discussion session at the West Oxford Community Centre on Tuesday, Thames Water told a steady stream of visitors that they would do what they could to lessen the effect of the roadworks.

Spokesman, Andrew Boyd, said later: "We told traders any shops that need water can usually be given an alternative temporary supply, and that we would try and move as quickly as possible past those shops directly on the road.

"There's no getting around the fact that our work will cause inconvenience, but we'll try and keep it to a minimum."

Richard Ferguson, 35, an osteopath living in Alexandra Road, off Botley Road, said: "It's a pain because that road is a nightmare. There are so many roadworks going on there.

"I remember when they were doing work on it at the end of last year and it was pretty grim then. It won't be very nice to have to sit roasting in your car in the middle of summer."

Joe Devlin, manager of general store Eggs Eggsetra, in Botley road, said: "The roadworks won't have a good effect at all.

"Roadworks stop all the local trade that we have from the trading estate on Osney Mead because people need to be in and out of the office in an hour."