A CONCERNED resident is disputing a road safety audit endorsed by Wiltshire Council, claiming that the level crossing at Minety is dangerous.

The council has agreed with Network Rail that the recently refurbished crossing in the village is safe despite objections from nearby residents.

Peter Lavery, who lives close to the crossing, believes that the most recent  safety audit, which was carried out by Wiltshire Council's highways contractor, Amey, should not be accepted by the authority.

This is because he believes that Amey staff could not be impartial when surveying the safety of the crossing.

Mr Lavery has commissioned his own audit from an independent firm and suspects the results will be very different.

He said: “What’s happening now is that I’m disputing the audit they had as incorrect and not independent."

Mr Lavery fears that, because the crossing is not level and on a hump, vehicles are unable to see oncoming traffic and could crash.

Another resident, Martin Disney, who has been looking after a friend’s house near the crossing for several weeks, is convinced there could be a fatality.

He said: “I wonder how long it will be before a boy racer meets an older driver at the crossing.”

The road has been closed for almost four months while work takes place on the crossing, causing traffic delays through the village. It recently led to a truck reversing into a field and getting stuck in the mud overnight.

Network Rail held a meeting for residents about the crossing earlier this month and assured them the road would be safe and open again as soon as all of the recommendations from the council’s highways department had been addressed.

Chairman of Minety Parish Council, Cllr Charles Cook, was at the meeting and said the village was divided over the crossing, with some opposed and others wanting it to open.