LOOE people were out in force on Tuesday night and packed out a public meeting in protest over a proposed three-month road closure.

They say it will cause havoc and hardship to the town.

More than 200 people filled the Guildhall with an overflow into an adjoining room with others being turned away.

The new Barratt Homes development, which started last week behind Looe Community School, will mean the closure of St Martin's Road for up to three months from January 3 to April 5 next year, while South West Water lays a sewerage pipe down through the middle.

Cornwall Council issued a one week consultation period over the closure last Friday which was the first time the town council or its own Cornwall councillors had been informed

At the hastily arranged meeting, chaired by the mayor cllr David Bryan, angry residents told the Barratt Homes planning manager, Gareth Kendall, that closing down the main arterial road in and out of Looe would deny the emergency services proper access to the town's most heavily populated area at the Barbican, Sunrising and Plaidy. They said parents taking their children to both the community and primary schools, and those wanting to shop in the town or visit the health services, would face a detour via Morval, Widegates and Nomansland.

Many said they would find it hard to cover the extra fuel cost, especially on the school runs which would total more than an extra 100 miles travel each week.

Businesses warned there would be a catastrophic effect on trade and jobs could be lost with some shops even closing down.

The proprietor of Barclay House Hotel, which is situated in St Martin's Hill, says he fears the worst if the closure goes ahead. Graham Brooks said he would shut his business down during the closure period as there would be no point in staying open. 'My staff would be temporarily laid off,' he said.

'This closure would cost me in