FEARS have been raised by a concerned cyclist that removing traffic lights from a Poole High Street junction is a “serious accident waiting to happen”.

Paul Stacey complained to Borough of Poole after traffic lights controlling a pedestrian crossing were taken away from the High Street junction with North Street.

“I am a local cyclist and come through this junction many times and am concerned that there is a serious accident waiting to happen as since the traffic lights have gone nobody takes any notice of cars or bikes on this road and treats it as part of the pedestrian part,” he said.

“We now have to scream at people to get out of the way.”

He called on the council to, “put the traffic lights back before someone gets seriously injured”.

The road, which crosses two pedestrianised parts of the High Street, has low volumes of traffic as it is used solely by buses, taxis and for access only.

A decision to remove the signals was recommended by the council’s Transportation Advisory Group in September last year and a trial took place in November and December.

The decision was approved by the portfolio holder and the signals were permanently removed in January 2015.

Richard Pinnegar, traffic manager, Borough of Poole, said: “The signals and railings at this location were removed as they were no longer considered necessary for safety purposes due to low vehicle speeds and traffic volumes.

“In addition, they created a perceived ‘barrier’ discouraging pedestrians from proceeding down through the High Street. Removing the signals and railings has also reduced the amount of street clutter and improved the local environment.

“The decision to remove the signals permanently was taken following a successful trial period at the end of 2014 during which the railings were removed and the pedestrian traffic signals were covered up. The project included a safety check and We continue to monitor this area. Following the changes there have been no reported incidents,”

he said.