Furious councillors will take a complaint about a road in their village to the top.

St Osyth Parish Council was given confirmation in writing by Essex County Council that Colchester Road would be resurfaced.

This followed years of pushing by members to get the works carried out, and they were told that they would be started in April this year.

But now, with a change of portfolio holder in Norman Hume, the resurfacing has been shelved.

Parish council chairman, Sonia Grantham, said: "We feel very aggrieved that we chased this so assiduously and had it promised in writing, then were told that it wouldn't happen.

"We have drawn the short straw 100 per cent.

"My sympathy is with highways - they did all that work to get things underway, only to have a new portfolio holder come in and change things.

"What a waste of money."

At their meeting on Thursday, the councillors decided that they would write a letter of complaint to Cllr Hume and director of highways Tony Ciaburro, as well as county council leader, Lord Hanningfield.

"We want them to know how angry we are by writing to the leader himself," said Mrs Grantham.

Essex County Councillor for Brightlingsea, Derek Robinson, stressed that the about-turn was purely about finances.

"It's not a personal thing for the portfolio holder," he said.

"The decision has been taken from the top of the tree.

"The money is just not in the pot for highways at the moment."