A £750,000 scheme to tackle sewer flooding in Blackburn town centre is set to inflict traffic misery on drivers for seven months.

But United Utilities said the work will bring welcome relief to the owners of 30 properties in Northgate that flood when sewers overload in heavy rainfall.

The company has been liaising with the council to outline plans and discuss the best way to minimise disruption.

Drivers using Northgate have already put up with a year of 'improvements', which involved the street being narrowed to create parking bays.

And the council diggers are set to return next year to pedestrianise one end of Northgate, around Sudell Cross.

United Utilities project manager, Ted Reynolds, said: "This is tremendous news for those property owners who have had the awful experience of sewer flooding."

The work involves building four new stretches of sewer, 400 metres long and three metres under ground.

The new sewers will relieve the pressure on the existing Northgate works in wet weather, along with improvements to cellars of the properties prone to flooding.

Mr Reynolds said work would be in stages to minimise disruption, with work stopping for several weeks in December for the festive shopping rush.

He said: "With engineering work on this scale some disruption will be inevitable but we are liaising with the council so we keep it to a minimum.

"Given the central location of the scheme, we are particularly keen to avoid work during the busy Christmas shopping period.

"We have looked at all possible options and the new sewers are the only practical solution. The whole area will be completely reinstated when we are finished."

The work is part of a £52million project to tackle sewer flooding in the region between 2000 and 2005.