Residents and motorists claim highways bosses are ignoring complaints about a width restriction in Watford that has damaged dozens of cars.

More than 50 complaints have been made to Hertfordshire Highways about the restriction, in Woodmere Avenue, since it was re-opened, on Friday, February 25.

Dozens of cars have been scratched and damaged and at least two motorists are taking legal action against the authority.

Driving instructors have also criticised the design of the narrow obstacle, which sits on the driving test route.

Angela Chandler, an instructor in Watford for five years, said: "If qualified drivers are struggling to get through it, how can my students? They have to get used to it, as it's on the test route, but every time I go down it, I risk scratching my car."

On the day it was re-opened, police were forced to close the road while engineers came back to shorten the steel posts, which had knocked the wing mirrors off dozens of cars.

Since then, several drivers have continued to hit the shortened posts, with one engineer admitting one in ten vehicles are being damaged by the obstacle.

Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, said: "Whatever width restrictions do, they have to work for drivers as well as other road users.

"Sometimes you can follow the guidance from the Department for Transport but it doesn't always work like that in practice. If it is not clear, or badly laid out, there can be an anomaly."

The width restriction on Woodmere Avenue

Andy Philpott, of nearby Tudor Drive, said: "I'm very angry. It seems the council just aren't listening - I don't see how it is acceptable.

"Before it was one post either side, which were about 7ft 9in apart. Now it is exactly 7ft but there are three posts, giving you three chances to hit your car, and one side is slightly wonky."

A Department for Transport representative said it was up to the local authority how many posts are built into the restriction, but that 7ft is a standard width.

Council bosses claim the work, costing £18,000, was carried out to save them money repairing the previous posts.

Mr Philpott added: "It is rubbish. How can it reduce maintenance costs when every one of the six posts has been damaged already?"

A police representative said they had been made aware of several vehicles hitting the obstacle, as well as drivers using the bus lane in the middle of the road.

Hertfordshire County Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, who sits on the authority's highways and transport panel, said it was a possibility a camera could be introduced to prevent this.

The Liberal Democrat representative for Central Watford and Oxhey said: "If it continues it is something we could consider.

"I drove my car, a Toyota Prius, through the posts and had no problem. It shouldn't be an issue unless you misjudge it. I would ask, if you lose you wing mirror, are you driving at the right speed?

"There have been a lot of complaints, particularly from people with cars wider than 7ft, but there are signs up and if you ignore them, you do so at your own risk."