'Please support us' appeal' by shops and businesses on major route into Burnley closed for repair work to huge sink hole

This has caused further traffic disruption on Burnley Road in Cliviger where the road is closed between the railway bridge and Monarch garage for at least 10 days while investigations and repairs are carried out.

Resident Graham Knott, who took these photographs, said he had lost count of the number of vehicles that had ignored the 'road closed' signs in both directions.

Despite the disruption the village businesses, including Ingham's Diner, Whitehouse garage services, Monarch Garage and Claire Ogden's Hair Studio, are all open and an appeal has been made for customers to support them while the repair work continues.

In the appeal on social media Mr Knott said: "All our local businesses are open as normal and they need your support."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We inspected what was originally thought to be a pothole on Burnley Road in mid-July, however, before we had chance to repair it we had a call to let us know that it had developed into a sinkhole.

"We immediately put up barriers and have now carried out further investigation. It appears to have been caused by a collapse to a culvert."