COUNCILLORS have reacted with fury at the news that a road will be closed for six months while sewer improvement works are carried out.

Both Cllr Michelle Dunn and Cllr Sue Nolan said it was an outrage that they had only just been informed that part of Elmcroft Avenue in Wanstead would be inaccessible while Thames Water installed a £4million system to sieve out excess sewage water draining into the River Roding.

At last night's (Monday) area 1 committee meeting at Wanstead Church School, Cllr Dunn said: "We have only just had the money to build a Safer Schools Area around Nightingale School and I wish we had known before so we could have delayed they work."

Cllr Nolan added: "I think it's disgraceful that this has been known about since the new year and residents have not yet been informed.

"I'm one of the residents that this is going to affect and it's going to be really difficult because Elmcroft Avenue is practically a T-junction.

"This is going to be a major disruption to lots of people in the area and there's a lot of school children that come through to go to Nightingales.

"Quite frankly it's appalling."

Thames Water project manager Ken Faux said the team would hold meetings and drop in sessions with residents and businesses before works begin in September.

He added: "Our intention is to do these works with minimum disruption but by doing these works there's always going to be disruption."

Newly elected chairman of the committee Cllr Peter Goody said: ""The views of my two colleagues are very clear.

"If one positive point comes out of this meeting it's that there is a need for better consultation and communication with councillors and residents."