A FAILURE to fix railings which were destroyed during a police chase are posing a danger to pedestrians, angry councillors claim.

The central barrier in Somnes Avenue, Canvey, was wrecked when a car, which was being pursued by police, collided with the railings in the early hours of the morning.

Despite the railings jutting out into the road, no action has been taken to remove or replace them since the collision, which took place at about 3am on Wednesday, March 30.

Peter Greig, Canvey Independent Party councillor for Winter Gardens, believes the damaged railings pose a danger to drivers and pedestrians.

He said: "There is a lot of debris that has been left behind.

“There are bits of the railing and metal on the pavement and this is dangerous.

"There are a lot of schoolchildren and college students that walk along that pavement and they could get hurt if they caught themselves on what has been left behind.

"It would also be bad if a biker were to catch themself on the railings that are jutting out.

“It is Essex Highways' responsibility to clear up the area.

"I think that Essex Highways should have done a better job at clearing up the area and making it as safe as possible for people who walk along the pavement and drivers using the road.”

Party colleague Neville Watson, who also represents Winter Gardens, added: "During the police chase the vehicle hit the railings and went straight through them.

“The railings have been smashed and some of them are laying down on the ground. The crash barrier has been destroyed.

“It has been more than three weeks now and the railings have just been left like this. Some of the railings have been embedded in the concrete.

“A lot of people cross the road there and now people cannot cross safely. Another issue is that because the crash barrier has been knocked down from a distance it looks like people are just standing on the road because drivers cannot see the crash barrier.

“I know that Essex County Council may be struggling a bit with money but it really is a safety concern and something needs to do done about the problem.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “We will arrange for the barriers to be inspected and repaired as soon as possible.

"We always encourage people to report any damage they see through our reporting page at essex.gov.uk/highways.”

The driver of the Vauxhall Corsa, a 33-year-old man from Canvey, was taken to hospital after his car crashed through the metal railings.

Five police cars rushed to the scene where they arrested the man, who was immediately taken to Southend Hospital because he had a "reduced level of consciousness".

The man was later released from hospital and has been bailed until Monday, May 16, while police carry out further enquiries.