Supermarket workers resorted to supplying sweets to angry motorists who were going nowhere fast near Gallows Corner at the weekend because of roadworks.

The work at the A12 Colchester Road and Whitelands Way junction, which has been in progress since September, saw Whitelands Way closed last weekend. There was a huge “backlog”, according to a councillor.

New pedestrian and cycle crossings and an upgrade to traffic lights will be introduced but a technical fault with the signals made it appear as though not much was actually being done.

Staff from Tesco in Bryant Avenue, Harold Hill, even handed out sweets to people stuck trying to leave their car park and gave them ‘cool-bags’ so their food would stay fresh.

Steve Varley, deputy manager at the store, said: “We were just trying to support our customers – and it’s not just us, we’ve got a business park nearby.

“People were saying ‘I only live ten minutes away and it’s taken me 45 minutes to get home because they’ve closed the road’.”

Cllr Brian Eagling (Residents Association, Harold Wood) said: “The only way out is Bryant Avenue on to the A12. It caused a huge backlog and people were trying to get out near McDonald’s.” He has complained to Transport for London via Havering Council.

A spokesman for TfL apologised and said the work should be finished by the end of the month.