People living in a notorious accident blackspot are not impressed with council advice to take another route.

Essex County Council’s recommendation disappointed those affected by the treacherous Pudding Lane, Chigwell.

When answering complaints about a recent spate of accidents along the lane, a spokesman for the council said: “It is worth noting that highways road users can use Gravel Lane as an alternative route.”

“Essex Highways will continue to investigate the issues of drainage of Pudding Lane to see what improvements can be made to the site which may help reduce the number of highways defects occurring in this road.”

However, residents of Pudding Lane say that this is simply not good enough, after they spent months campaigning in 2009, only for the council to come up with an insufficient speed reduction strategy, which included lowering the speed limit to 30mph, at a reported cost of £75,000.

68 year-old Fred Bussell has lived down the Lane for more than 35 years, and says that despite their hard work, residents were not listened to.

He said: “Reducing the speed limit has not worked, and we told them that at the time.

“Something has to be done. We as residents will not use the lane because we know how dangerous it is, we are not prepared to take the chance.

“When we first came here it was a country lane and now it is a rat run.”

The council went on to say that if residents feel as though they can offer ideas on how to improve safety along the lane, then they should put them forward to the Highways Panel.

A spokesman said: “Regarding further traffic management measures, local residents can approach their Local Highways Panel to see if any further potential traffic management measures can be highlighted for consideration.”

For the residents of Pudding Lane, who are too scared to drive down their own road, and who feel as though they have not been listened to, this is simply not good enough.

Fred Bussell said: “Personally I do not think that they will ever do anything.”