Drivers will be without a filling station in Cockermouth for at least seven weeks while work continues on a £1.5 million redevelopment.

Oakhurst Service Station closed this week, leaving residents facing a 13-mile round trip to the nearest petrol station, Essex Garage in Dearham.

Oakhurst is owned by Euro Garages.

Ilyas Munshi, commercial director said: "The construction team will be digging up the old tanks and putting in new ones, doing the piping and pump work.

"It normally takes six to eight weeks when doing the tanks but that depends on what you dig up."

While the underground work is going on, work will continue on the rest of the site which will include a Spar convenience store with a Subway sandwich shop, cash machine, drive-through Starbucks coffee shop, car wash and parking.

The existing service station building off Lamplugh Road will be knocked down.

Mr Munshi added: "There will be a lot of construction work going on, then the decorating and shop fitting will be done at the end. This might take a further week or it could be completed at the same time as the tanks.

"I'm hoping we will be open mid to late March. We realise people are keen to see it up and running and will try and do this as soon as possible."

Plans for the redevelopment were approved by Allerdale council in August 2014. Euro Garages wants it to become a gateway to the town. 

The service station currently employs about 12 people and the new site will support 60 jobs.