A blocked and flooded drain in a Watford road has sparked concerns over the safety of pedestrians.

The drain, on the corner of Hatfield Road and St Albans Road, could cause people to slip over, says Cllr Asif Khan, who represents Leggatts Ward.

He says he has reported the blockage to Hertfordshire County Council three times over the past six months but “nothing has been done” and there is now there is a nasty smell developing.

Cllr Khan said: “I’m worried the blocked drain is a slip hazard for pedestrians to get through, especially when the weather gets colder.

“Nothing has been done to unblock the drain.

“It is now in a real state and the stench from the drain is awful.”

Kevin Carrol, who is divisional manager for Ringway - which deals with highways maintenance in Hertfordshire - said the drain should be unblocked over the next three weeks.

He said: “We are aware of the drainage issues on the corner of Hatfield Road and St Albans Road.  

“We visited this site on Monday and on several other occasions, including during our deep cleaning programme where a contractor has authority from the council to lift cars. Regrettably, during these visits we were still unable to access the drains due to the volume of parked cars.

“We are now in the process of getting authorisation to suspend use of the two parking bays so we can access the drains and carry out a detailed inspection.  We rely on residents to co-operate with us when we need access to undertake activities like this.”