Calls for fence in Rickmansworth to be fixed to stop people crossing

Several years ago, a crash in Rectory Road in Rickmansworth took out a fence in the middle causing temporary barriers to be put in.

Lucy Copley, who lives in a flat overlooking Rectory Road, says ever since then people have been dashing across four lanes of traffic to get to the other side.

She explained: “They are crossing here as a shortcut rather than going down to the subway at either end.

“They did put some sandbags down but people are still just moving the barrier out of the way to get through.”

Lucy says she has seen near misses and fears someone will eventually be hit.

She said: “It’s a busy road and cars come bombing down. It’s scary to watch, my heart is in my mouth when I see someone crossing. It’s just not very safe.”

Concerns were shared with the highways team at Hertfordshire County Council last year by Lucy’s boyfriend but she says they did not receive a response.

She added she also contacted the council this year and has tagged the highways department in a tweet.

“You’d expect the council to be a bit more proactive, it feels like something bad needs to happen for action,” she said.

Rectory Road which is a dual carriageway. Credit: Google Maps

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: “We are aware of the issues with this temporary barrier. We are planning to repair the barrier, but it complicated as this is a non-standard barrier that needs to be repaired by a specialist contractor, and we will need to close lanes on the A412 to be able to do this safely.

"We don’t currently have a date for when these works will take place. In the meantime we are trying to secure the temporary barriers and we would strongly encourage people to use a recognised crossing point for their own safety and the safety of other road users.”