Motorists ignore Leyburn Road no entry sign

6.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 20th Sep 2007

Cllr Mike Barker and Cllr Fred Lawton are still having problems at rush hour with motorists ignoring the No Entry sign from Fitzwilliam Drive into the bottom end of Leyburn Road. When this first happened they asked the Highways Department to put a "No Left Turn" sign on the approach to the roundabout. The Council said it wasn't necessary.

Mike and Fred arranged for the police to monitor this abuse and some arrests were made. The defence of one arrested motorist was that he did not know he couldn't turn left until he got to the roundabout and then it was too late to back out. The Magistrates were sympathetic to this defence so the police advised the Council that a No Left Turn sign was needed.

Now the new sign is up, the police have readily responded to our request to monitor the traffic again.

Mike and Fred heard from one resident that, despite the police parking their car in a place where they can easily be seen, one arrest was made on the first day of monitoring. Unfortunately, until all drivers obey the signs, we will have to keep asking the police to monitor the situation.

At least we have a new, arresting sign to help with prosecution of offenders.