A PAVEMENT that was left only half resurfaced by council workers has left neighbouring shopkeepers scratching their heads in bemusement.

Essex County Council has resurfaced and repaired half the pavement in Loughton High Road in front of clothes shops Butlers, and Pink, but the other half- owned by the shops- is still riddled with potholes.

Butlers manager Natalie Fairbrass said: “I just think it was pointless doing it and leaving the rest. They should have just left it as it was. The whole day they did it it caused inconvenience and they’ve left a big hole anyway. It’s a dangerous area there where quite a few elderly people trip.”

Essex County Council is only obliged to resurface the parts of the public footway it owns, but some shopkeepers have bemoaned the lack of co-ordination with them.

Richard Evans, owner of Gladley’s cafe, said: “To only do half the pavement is not very clever- the danger to the public is exactly the same as before. The council knows the problem is there, they should force the shopkeepers to fix it.”

Mr Evans also pointed out that the resurfacing work had covered over chalk signs marking out utility points under the pavement.

He said: “It just seems silly. I can’t see that they’ve drawn up all those plans to do nothing. Now it’s been covered up by the work, they’ll have to dig it all up to get down there.

“It looks like their making their decisions around when they can get hold of their workmen.”

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “ECC can only spend public money on the publicly maintainable highway. The shop owners are responsible for their own land and can undertake any necessary work when they see fit.”