ROAD safety measures installed by Lancashire County Council were today criticised as "a danger to human life".

And the county authority has been attacked by councillors and fire crews for pressing ahead with the controversial measures.

Hyndburn Council - which has hit out at the county authority - has now sent a fax demanding that county bosses remove the measures in Henry Street, Church, as soon as possible.

LCC has installed the pedestrian refuge in the middle of the street, near the entrance to Hyndburn Sports Centre, and has reduced the size of the pavements to keep the same width of the road. It is part of an improvement plan which includes a mini-roundabout and extra "hatching" road marks.

This was done despite objections from Hyndburn Council and Church residents at a consultation meeting of the Church Area Council in spring - although the county council has claimed it took comments into account before pressing ahead.

At a cabinet meeting of Hyndburn Council yesterday councillors demanded the removal of the measures, claiming smaller pavements will endanger pedestrians while the refuge will slow down traffic.

They also said it would it be impossible for a fire engine to pass through the nearby busy junction with Hyndburn Road at peak times thereby adding vital seconds to response times.

Council leader Coun Peter Britcliffe said: "What sort of organisation do they think they are? If there is any Third Reich it is Lancashire County Council.

"For some cock-eyed reason they are putting in safety measures and this council vigorously objects to it because it endangers pedestrians and increases fire engine response times.

"The county council visited the Church Area Council and the residents' views were that they did not want them and they told them where to put it.

"Unfortunately for the residents the county council have put it where they wanted to anyway. It is absolutely disgraceful that they consulted and then went ahead and did it anyway."

Coun Brian Walmsley said: "I do not know how from 4pm to 6pm a fire engine is going to get through because that crossing as everyone knows is extremely busy."

Assistant Divisional Officer Mick Holmes, based at Hyndburn Community Fire Station just 150 yards from the junction with Henry Street, said: "The whole idea of consultation is to take everybody's views into consideration.

"Our view was there were already traffic calming measures in that area and that the majority of residents we spoke to before going to the Church Area Council meeting didn't want this new measure as well.

"The chief fire officer's view was that we applaud any measures that reduce accidents. However, when some traffic safety measures are introduced and would hinder the passage of fire engines we do not."

However Lancashire County Council spokesman Stephen Axon said: "The traffic calming measures on Henry Street have been put in place following consultation with the public and relevant local bodies. Their comments and concerns were taken into account before any changes were made.

"In the past five years there have been 15 accidents along Henry Street, six of these involved pedestrians. Therefore the aim of these measures is to

slow traffic down and to help pedestrians cross the road safely with a new pedestrian refuge."