Kent Highways has made a U-turn over plans to close one of the Island's busiest routes.

Lower Road, Minster, between the old Cowstead Corner roundabout and Barton Hill Drive, will remain open next week apart from overnight repairs on Monday evening.

The news will come as a relief to Sheppey motorists heading to the east of the Island who were facing a diversion through Halfway and Minster after plans to close the stretch for carriageway repair work from Monday to Friday were announced last week.

The change of plans follows complaints raised by MP Gordon Henderson about the scheduling of the works and why they could not be carried out overnight.

After the repairs on Monday, more work will be carried out during the evenings and nights in a few months' time when the weather is warmer.