A councillor is “frustrated” that it has taken nine months to replace a pedestrian guard rail on a busy ring road.

Central ward Lib Dem councillor Steve Bolton says he reported damaged guard rails in Beechen Grove near the junction of Clarendon Road on December 14.

The rails were replaced by two plastic officers which are thought to “often blow into the road”.

Cllr Bolton said: “I have been waiting nine months for Hertfordshire County Council to replace them and it is just unbelievable that a simple job of replacing those metal safety barriers is taking so long.”

County councillor for Central Watford Stephen Giles-Medhurst was “promised” on June 11 that they would be replaced “within four weeks”.

He added: “It’s still not occurred and frankly it seems you cannot trust anything that county highways tell you anymore. I can understand a month or two of delays so that a batch of damaged rails are done at the same time to save costs but come on nine months.

“And these were reported in the last financial year as well. It’s still nine months later that nothing has been done. It’s a disgrace.”

Kevin Carrol, Ringway Divisional Manager, working on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council, said: "We are aware of the damage to a section of pedestrian guard rail in Beechen Grove and appreciate local concern with it. However, temporary barriers are in place keep the area safe for pedestrians whilst the permanent repair works are being programmed. We must prioritise maintenance works across the county and fix the most dangerous faults first.

“The repairs here are part of our planned works programme but require complex traffic management and the closing of a lane on the ring road to undertake them. It is therefore uneconomical to undertake them independently of other works.

“Works in locations like this are generally coordinated together in this way to reduce disruption to the travelling public and ensure we deliver a cost-effective maintenance service. We expect the works here to be undertaken before the end of September and will continue to keep the area safe in the interim period.”