MOTORISTS faced lengthy delays yesterday as emergency work to repair a broken signal controller brought a busy part of Poole to a standstill.

Some drivers reported delays of up to 45 minutes as they battled to make their way to work in the morning rush hour through the Surrey Road/Branksome Wood Road crossroads.

And although the temporary traffic lights had been removed this morning, the sequencing of the repaired signals is causing long delays today.

Four-way temporary traffic lights were placed at the junction while workmen repaired the controller which was damaged in a recent road accident.

Motorist Angie Henden said: “I left work in Bournemouth at 6pm on Monday and managed to make my way through the temporary traffic lights and I noticed the traffic coming from Poole was gridlocked all the way to Alder Road. It just wasn't moving anywhere.”

And another reported it had taken her 45-miuntes to get through the lights yesterday morning making her late for work.

A spokesman for Poole council said yesterday: “We have arranged for the temporary signal provider to be on-site at peak hours this afternoon and tomorrow morning to manually adjust the signals to help to ease the traffic problems there.”