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Angry couple take action against drivers

12:22, 12 April 2012

Diane and Dave Askew, with grand-daughter Graycie Vidler, six months, and Dave’s homemade No Right Turn signs
Diane and Dave Askew, with grand-daughter Graycie Vidler, six months, and Dave’s homemade No Right Turn signs

A couple who are sick of motorists ignoring road signs have taken matters into their own hands.

Diane and Dave Askew live on the corner of Lynsted and Halfway roads and are worried that drivers flouting the rules will cause an accident.

Last year we reported how the pair are continually witnessing cars turning right into Lynsted Road from Halfway Road, even though such manoeuvres are forbidden.

Lynsted has been one-way since February 2003 and can only be turned into left from Halfway Road.

Motorists are not supposed to enter it from Belmont Road, but constantly do.

Mrs Askew believes drivers turn off Queenborough Road, into Belmont Road and down Lynsted Road to use it as a shortcut and avoid the traffic lights.

Six months on the problem has not gone away.

Last week was the final straw for the couple when, days after a lorry had collided with their car after ignoring the signs, they saw 20 cars turn right from Halfway Road in under two hours.

Five cars also came the wrong way down Lynsted Road in the same period of time.

It prompted drastic action from Mr Askew, who has now made and displayed his own no right turn signs with plywood and paint.

Grandmother-of-one Mrs Askew said although it was quite hard to judge because of the Easter holidays, she did think it had started to make a difference and motorists were taking note.

However, she and her husband still get abused by some drivers if they raise the issue with them.

She thinks there needs to be some sort of permanent solution.

Her suggestion is for Lynsted Road to be turned into a dead-end or barriers to be installed on the ground so drivers can only turn into the road and not drive out.

The 46-year-old said: “We get abuse and get sworn at when we tell them but I will keep going because the problem has not stopped.

“It needs a camera or some major action because there’s going to be an accident here before long.”

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