Four separate sets of roadworks around a busy town have left some tourists going round in circles.

Major roadworks are currently taking place on Penrith Road, in Keswick, near Thirlmere and at St John’s in the Vale.

There are several diversions in place, but visitor Anne Cooper claims the signs are so confusing she was forced to change her plans altogether.

Anne, who was staying with her family near Appleby, had planned to visit her “favourite Lake”, driving via Keswick to Buttermere.

“That was the plan anyway,” she told the News & Star. “When we reached Keswick we dutifully followed the diversion signs and ended up driving down the A591 past Thirlmere. Then I spotted the diversion sign at the foot of the lake and we turned right.

“We drove up the other side of Thirlmere and ended up back where we started.

“By this time our sat nav had lost the will to live, let alone us, and we attempted to navigate back streets to get around the town. We had coffee and cake at Annie’s Pantry. Then we tried again, lost the will to live and went to Ambleside instead.”

Saying the experience had left her “fed-up” and “disillusioned”, Anne added: “We get that you need to fix the drainage up there to prevent the kind of floods you experienced after Storm Desmond, what we don’t get is the woeful lack of signage to help people navigate their way around the town.”

Cumbria County Council has apologised for any issues navigating around the area.

A spokesman said: “Penrith Road is currently closed due to flood alleviation works which are essential to help protect 118 properties in the town from future flooding.

“Unfortunately there are currently three closures in place in and around Keswick – Thirlmere Dam Wall, St John’s in the Vale (carriageway reconstruction) and Penrith Road flood alleviation scheme. These are in addition to a Lake District National Park scheme on the nearby A66.

“It has not been possible to delay any of these works, as bad weather during the winter could result in serious longer-term issues.

“We appreciate that multiple sets of works and signage at the same time is confusing for road users, particularly those unfamiliar with the area, and apologise for the frustration this may have caused.

“To enable road users to distinguish between the diversion routes, the St John’s in the Vale signage is clearly marked with a diamond symbol. There are VMS (Variable Message) signs on the A66 which advise to follow diverted traffic signage for Keswick.”