A FORMER policeman warned that motorists’ lives could be at risk in Colden Common before Hampshire County Council carried out repairs.

But two traffic island bollards, which had been flattened on Main Road, near to Chichester Caravans, have now been replaced.

John O’Leary, 70, an ex-Winchester PC, called the council in April to alert them to the problem.

“A month is a long time when someone’s life is in danger. If you’re driving toward that in the dark at night you’re not going to see the traffic island.

“At night, a motorcyclist could hit that and I would hate to think what could happen,” he said.

After calling the council, Mr O’Leary noticed that a week later there had been no change.

He said they informed him that an engineer had visited and that it could be up to two months before their contractors rectified the problem.

The parish council also flagged up the issue. A spokesman said: “One of our councillors, Paul Bryant, has raised the damage to this traffic island several times at parish council meetings and these complaints were passed on to the Highways Department.”

A county council spokesperson said: “It is regrettable that two flexible bollards in Main Road, Colden Common were damaged, apparently by a vehicle, so they are no longer free standing. We take the safety of all of Hampshire's road users very seriously and have ordered more resilient, replacement bollards."