Abusive drivers ignoring one-way sign - residents

Julia Stephens recalls that the road has been a one-way street for at least 40 years

Drivers ignoring a one-way sign have been verbally abusive and even physically aggressive when challenged, residents on the street have claimed.

People in Scarletts Road in Colchester say motorists have been using their narrow street to bypass roadworks happening nearby.

Resident Edward Sutcliffe said he had seen up to 30 cars a day ignore the no-entry sign and that one motorist "grabbed me round my throat".

Gas engineers say their work in nearby Old Heath Road is due to finish on 25 April.

Mr Sutcliffe, 45, said the driver offered to fight him when he reminded him that "children live down this road".

"I thought the passenger of the van was coming round to calm the situation down, at which point he put his forearm on my chest and grabbed me round my throat," he recalled.

"There are children on my road and I don't want them to get hurt."

Mr Sutcliffe said he would continue to confront anybody breaking the rules.

Ironically, Mr Sutcliffe said he was giving an interview to police when another car drove down the street the wrong way.

Essex Police confirmed it was aware of the alleged assault and said it took accounts from two people at the scene.

Scarletts Road in Colchester has been used as an illegal cut-through by drivers, residents say

Julia Stephens, 65, said she and neighbours were getting abuse from the drivers they tried to stop.

"They just feel they're entitled," she explained.

Alyson Jenkins, 63, said cars "rush down" the road to avoid meeting the traffic head on.

"When you remind them, you generally get bad language thrown back at you," she said, adding that motorists shouted back at them or made obscene gestures.

Alyson Jenkins lives right on the end of the road where the cars turn in

Cadent Gas started replacing ageing iron gas pipes with new plastic ones on 24 February and the work is due to end on 25 April.

They said carefully planned diversion routes were put in place in Old Heath Road to keep traffic flowing.

A spokesperson for Essex Highways said they understood concerns about the volume of roadworks in Colchester, but asked residents to raise traffic management concerns with Cadent Gas.