A Bournemouth councillor was among angry motorists caught up in long traffic tailbacks near Bournemouth Airport this afternoon.

Cllr Ron Whittaker told the Daily Echo how it had taken him 45 minutes to travel from the Avon Causeway, past Hurn village and along Parley Lane.

He said: “There were traffic lights at the roundabout before Hurn village but no warning signs to say there would be delays or telling drivers to take an alternative route. There were workmen from Southern Electric standing there but no advance warnings of road works.

“Anyone hoping to catch a flight from Bournemouth Airport will have missed their flight, unless they had left very early for their journey.”

Another irate motorist told the Daily Echo that they had been held-up for half an hour after the A3073 Parley Lane was blocked both ways between the Avon Causeway and Hurn Bridge roundabout.

And rush-hour commuters got caught up in queues on the A338 Spur Road near Blackwater Junction with some motorists reporting that vehicles were posing a danger by braking suddenly.

A Southern Electric spokeswoman said restrictions had been put into place following an emergency and power cuts in Hurn village.

She added: "When engineers arrived they found that trees were growing into overhead wires. While work was carried out to restore power traffic management measures had to be used to ensure the safety of engineers."