A major employer has warned it could be forced out of Hounslow due to a controversial road closure.

Octink chief executive Will Tyler claims the extra traffic since Church Street in Isleworth closed earlier this month has hit him and other local firms hard.

He says if things do not change he will have to find new premises for the sign-writing firm, which is based in Commerce Road, Brentford, and has 120 staff.

"We have about 20-25 vans going out on a regular basis and we've been experiencing delays of at least half and hour per journey because there's traffic backing down to the end of Commerce Road," he told getwestlondon.

"It's not just our trade which is being affected. Staff are telling me they will have to look elsewhere if this continues because it's taking them so long to get to and from work.

Church Street, Isleworth, has been closed to through traffic since December 7

"It seems like a handful of residents in Church Street brought this to a head, but it can't be that bad living there if you can sell houses for £2.5m to £4m.

"As things stand, I'm going to be instructing agents in the new year to find me an alternative site."

An 18-month trial closure of Church Street began on December 7, despite an 1,800 signature petition opposing the move.

Hounslow Council said the closure, which followed a public consultation, would stop drivers using the narrow road as a "rat run". It has promised to monitor the impact.

'Syon Park supply chain affected by closure'

A manager at Syon Park, which opposed the closure, has also spoken about the impact of extra traffic on operations at the historic house and grounds.

Brian McMillan, who is senior maintenance manager at the estate, said it had always tried to support local businesses but journeys were now taking so long this was proving impossible.

"When we needed something it used to take one of my guys no more than 10 minutes to drive down the road to Isleworth but that same journey is now taking at least half an hour and sometimes up to an hour due to the traffic," he said.

Syon House, in Syon Park

"In the first two weeks since the closure we've had to spend £1,000 on mail order goods, which would have gone to local businesses. Over the course of 18 months, that works out at £36,000.

"If we have a plumbing emergency and it takes someone half an hour to arrive, that could mean thousands of pounds of damage to the historic house.

"Some people have described the road closure as an act of lunacy. I wouldn't go that far but it's not far off."

He urged people to contact the council and make their views known about the closure.