Stretches of newly-resurfaced road between Marlborough and Beckhampton are going to have to be ripped up again because the Tarmac laid by contractors is substandard.

And trade for the pubs at either end of the road works, The Bell at Overton and the Waggon and Horses at Beckhampton, is set to be hit again when the road surface that cost £370,000 has to be torn up and re-laid.

The cost of re-laying two stretches of road between Beckhampton roundabout and Silbury Hill, and from West Kennett long barrow to Overton hill, will be met by contractors Ringway.

Drivers have been wondering why the white lines have not been replaced on the new road surface.

Nick Davidge, who drives from his home at Quemerford to Bedwyn station three or four times a week, said he was amazed when he phoned the council to be told the new stretches were not up to specification.

Mr Davidge, who works in London, said: “In the summer they spent considerable time and money resurfacing the A4 between Beckhampton and Overton and when I rang the council to ask why the road had not been re-lined they said the new surface was not to the correct spec and would have to be resurfaced again.”

Wiltshire councillor Jemima Milton, whose ward the road runs through, said: “There is a dispute between the council and the contractors about the quality of the work.”

Coun Milton said signs had been erected to warn motorists saying ‘Slippery Road – New Surface’.

She said: “They are looking at what can be done and then there will have to be road closures again while the work is re-done.”

Wiltshire Council spokesman Rachel Baker said there would be temporary traffic lights while tests are carried out on Monday from 9.30am-2.30pm to see what work needs to be done.

The road will be closed on four nights, October 15-19 from 7pm-6am, for the resurfacing to take place.

In a statement she said: “We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused, however the work is not acceptable and our contractor will be working hard to put that right.

“The contractor will carry out further resurfacing works at no cost to the council. “We can assure people that the road is not dangerous; if it was dangerous we would have closed the road. We want to make sure the road is fit for purpose for the long term and that is why the work needs to be done again.

“We are pleased that our contractors have put in place remedial works as soon as possible.”

Becks Rossiter, who has run the Waggon and Horses for the past 18 months, said: “It’s a double nuisance for us that they will have to do all this work again.

“When they resurfaced the road earlier in the summer we had a week of sleepless nights with the contractors working outside. Our trade did suffer but not enormously.”