Campaigners' calls for the pedestrianisation of a road to stop it being used as a rat run have been rejected by Epping Forest District Council.

The SHUT COTTIS LANE campaign was launched in March on social networking site Twitter and has 125 followers.

The road is used as a short cut between High Street and St John’s Road, and campaigners say pedestrians are put at risk when they cross the High Street junction.

However, at a meeting of Epping Town Council last night, councillors decided they would not support the move.

Explaining the decision, Cllr Tony Church said: “This is a historic road and I don’t see any reason to close it.

"It is a road and pedestrians do have to be careful on roads. Nobody has ever come to me and complained about the road, not am I aware of any injuries or deaths.”