UPTON fruit farm Clives is relieved a road closed for gas works has been reopened ahead of schedule.

Farmer Charlie Clive was worried trade would be hit over the `pick your own' season when National Grid announced it was closing a 1.4km stretch of road from the farm towards Hook Bank and diverting traffic. The work, to replace gas pipes, was scheduled to last 14 weeks from June 6, but the road reopened last week.

Farm secretary Jo Drumgold said the business had survived the closure: "People were able to get to us, it wasn't too bad. They did work with us in the end."