School children and elderly people are being forced to cross a busy road to avoid building work in Rickmansworth.

Martin Jarritt, lives in Park Road, which is close to the two new developments currently being built at the start of the High Street, under the railway bridge.

He said that over the past few weeks he has seen scores of children on their way to St Joan of Arc school forced to cross the busy road as the pavement had been closed.

Mr Jarritt said: “I've seen old people and children crossing this busy, fast road when there are lots of cars, which is a public safety issue. There were no signs warning drivers the footpath was going to be closed. It's a fast road, something should have been organised for drivers.

“Today a digger was parked in the middle of the road and a bus had to mount the opposing kerb to get past, it should never have been in the road in the first place. To call it cavalier would be a massive understatement, I've never seen such a disgrace. It's unbelievable.”

Mr Jarritt contacted Hertfordshire Highways, who he was told had legal responsibility for the road and was given a phone number for the builder to contact himself. He said: “I've got a job to do, I've lost about an hour and half of my working day trying to sort this out.

“These days of supposed health and safety I find it extraordinary that the council is expecting a member of the public to sort out their highways issues”

Simon Hoggett, from Hertfordshire Country Council, said an alternative, safe route for pedestrians should have been put in place and engineers were on the way to the site to investigate.

Mr Jarritt added: “I don't often get angry about things but this is making my blood boil.”