IMPROVEMENTS to bathing water will lead to some road closures in Shanklin while work to the sewerage network takes place.

Around 75 local residents attended a community engagement event last Monday to find out how the works would affect them.

Wilton Park Road could be closed for more than five months, from October 1, 2018, to March 15, 2019.

A Southern Water spokesman said: "We're planning to make a considerable investment in our Shanklin network to support our Bathing Water Enhancement programme.

"Construction will start in September in the Arthur's Hill area and is planned to be completed by the 2019 bathing season.

"The scheme will ultimately improve the resilience and capacity of our sewerage network at times of heavy storms, which is essential in helping reduce the risk of releases to the sea and will also help protect homes from flooding.

"This construction scheme is one of many measures we are undertaking, which include working with the local council to manage the beachfront area, carrying out sewer maintenance and working with local farmers too."

Martin Drain, of Wilton Park Road, said it was still unclear how residents would access their homes.

"We were verbally told we would still have access to our homes, but a lot of us do not drive and there are lots of elderly, so we are concerned about where we can get the bus from when they can't come down the road anymore."

Southern Vectis said the plan was to divert buses to Atherley Road and Arthur's Hill while Wilton Park Road was closed.

For more information about the Bathing Water Enhancement Programme and the work in Shanklin, go to southernwater.co.uk/Media/Default/PDFs/BWEP-Shanklin.pdf.