Claire, along with fellow Kings Walk shopkeepers Pam Benton of Cut Price Cards, Jamie Bates of Headroom, Nick Thornhill of Phoenix Gallery, David Charles, of Grantham Computer Centre and Anjie Garton, Laura Mowatt and Tracey Dews of Hair Design donned high visibility jackets and hard hats to join the work men on Tuesday morning.

Owner of Castaways cafe on Kings Walk, Claire thinks that the time has now come to make a stand to the roadworks that are ruining local shops and even forcing some of them out of business.

She said: "The road works are killing local businesses so the idea is a joke but to suggests that local businesses need help. We want people to know that here we are, we're still open for business."

Traders say roadworks are preventing people from visiting the town, making life difficult for Grantham business owners.

Phoenix Gallery director Nick Thornhill said: "People who are making these decisions do not live in the town and therefore their not losing money, they're still getting their salary."

Pam manager of Cut Price Cards said: "They should be encouraging people into the town not driving them away. We suggest free parking for a day to get people into the town."

What would you do to sort out Grantham's traffic hell? Click here to send us your views.