A FURIOUS restaurant owner was forced to cancel dozens of bookings and shut up shop after a road closure sign was put in the “wrong place.”

The Oyster Creek bar and grill on Western Esplanade, Southend, closed on Tuesday as they believed the main road would be shut for 12 hours, as a bright yellow sign indicated.

However, after making the decision on Sunday, owner Antonia Waite then found that the road was not closed on Tuesday, with cars travelling along the seafront as usual.

The restaurant had cancelled 20 bookings and postponed deliveries.

Mrs Waite claims the sign was mistakenly put on Western Esplanade.

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Southend Council say the sign is not linked to council roadworks, which are set to take place next week.

It’s understood the road was closed due to the removal of a crane from the Clifftown Shore development.

Mrs Waite, said: “We lost a lot of trade, it’s still the summer season.

“Coming out of Covid, it’s not what we needed at all.

“Staff were given the day off, and deliveries were postponed a day.

“I’m not sure why the removal of a crane needed a whole day either.

“They closed a different part of the seafront instead.

“We sent the council an email asking what happened but we haven’t heard back.”

Western Esplanade will be closed from September 23 at 7pm, to September 24, at midnight, for essential resurfacing works.

A spokesman from Southend Council said: “The council approved a temporary traffic regulation order to allow works at a nearby private development.

“Following complaints from businesses, officers carried out a site visit, where it was clear that the traffic management and signage needed for this temporary work were not carried out as approved by the council.”