Motorists who ignore signs on a road dubbed ‘Sidmouth’s most dangerous’ face ending up in court, says the area’s community safety co-ordinator.

Police have backed a call for drivers to be patient and adhere to safety warnings in Stowford Rise - saying ‘it only takes a slight lack of concentration to kill somebody’.

The road, which has a pedestrian crossing sandwiched between two bus stops, has long been the subject of a safety campaign by residents. Fears have been expressed that cars which overtake stationary buses could hit a pedestrian using the crossing. Warning signs have been installed, but a recent bid by police to put warning messages on the back of buses was rejected by Stagecoach – which said they would cause confusion to drivers outside of the Sid Valley.

East Devon’s community safety co-ordinator Gerry Moore said this week that the road is ‘not ideal’, but put the onus on drivers to obey the law. He said: “We are doing what we can to reduce the problems being caused by drivers who fail to recognise the ‘keep left’ bollards. Drivers need to take care. If people do not recognise the ‘keep left’ signs, then they are liable to court action and a fixed penalty. They are breaking the law and will be dealt with. We have got a lot of young parents up there with pushchairs, so drivers may have to wait some time, but they need to be patient, otherwise they are breaking the law.”

PCSO Steve Blanchford-Cox said officers continue to monitor Stowford Rise.

He added: “We also do plain clothes operations up there. Registrations will be taken and, if found to be contravening the bollards, [drivers] will be prosecuted. Obviously, it is a massive safety issue - it only takes a slight lack of concentration and you have killed somebody.”