More information has been provided as motorists face a week of misery with roadworks bringing a busy road to a standstill.

Drivers have faced long delays on the last two mornings (November 4 and 5) after gas company Cadent began works over the weekend in Hempstead Road, according to traffic website One Network.

The road is close to both West Herts College and Lanchester Primary School, as well as connecting residents to Watford Town Centre.

One Network has warned that delays are "likely" as a result of the works, which include the use of temporary traffic lights.

Motorists have faced delays on the last two morningsMotorists have faced delays on the last two mornings (Image: Google Maps) Cadent has a permit for the works until November 12, meaning motorists are likely to face delays into next week.

The company has now explained the reasons for the work, insisting it has "no option" but to undertake it.

Cadent's customer operations manager Lee Macgibbon said: "We were called to Hempstead Road, Watford, on Saturday 2 November following reports of a smell of gas.

"Cadent engineers took immediate action to make everything safe and have used specialised equipment to pinpoint the source of the escape.

"However, this is an extremely complex repair job due to a number of other utility pipes which also lie underneath the road. Due to this, we will need to work on one side of the road before switching over and completing the repair on the other side."

He added: "We understand that Hempstead Road is a busy route, but in a situation like this, we have no option but to install temporary traffic lights to ensure that our colleagues can carry out repair work safely, while traffic can continue to flow.

"We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. This is all about keeping everyone safe."

Hertfordshire Highways alerted residents to the disruption shortly before 8.30am yesterday, with a tweet warning of long delays southbound on Hempstead Road, from the A41 to Stratford Way.

A message on the One Network website reads: "Cadent are carrying out emergency gas repair works. These repairs can take time to resolve, but this is to ensure that we continue to provide the safest and most reliable service to our customers."