GAS engineers are carrying out emergency works to a stretch of the A350 Bournemouth Road near Blandford.

Manually-controlled two-way traffic lights are in place between Blandford and Charlton Marshall due to a gas leak.

It is not yet known how long the repairs will take.

A spokesperson from SGN said the traffic lights are in place "to ensure everyone's safety around our work area".

"At this point, it’s too early to say how long our repair will take to complete," she said.

"However, we’re working 24 hours a day to finish the repairs as quickly as possible.

"We’ll provide further updates as our work progresses."

There are delays in the area, with motorists travelling between the A31 Roundhouse Roundabout and the A354 Blandford St Mary affected.

The traffic lights will be manually controlled between 7am and 7pm daily until the work is complete.

The Great Dorset Steam Fair will begin tomorrow, Thursday.

A spokesperson from Dorset council said: "Unfortunately, due to the nature of the work, for safety, repairs cannot be held off until the event is over.

"We will be monitoring disruption to minimise impact, but if you are heading on this route over the coming days, please allow extra time or consider using an alternative if it is practical to do so."