BATTERED railings are an eyesore to one of the main roads to Canvey, according to the chairman of the town council.

The 100m stretch of barriers on Canvey Road, near Benfleet Creek, have long been in a state of disrepair. The metal railings are mangled, covered in dents and even falling down in some places.

The road is one of just two on to the island, along with Canvey Way, and John Anderson, chairman of Canvey Town Council, said they need to be replaced.

He said: “It’s the gateway to Canvey and it’s a mess. I’ve been asking for something to be done for the last two-and-a-half years and nothing has happened. It’s abysmal, it really is.”

Steven Cole, a prospective candidate for the Canvey Island Independent Party, said the broken barriers were also dangerous.

He added: “It’s supposed to stop people going into the marshes, which are quite deep at high tide.

“If someone lost control and ended up in there, they’d be in serious trouble.

“Nothing has been done about this for so long.

“A friend of mine ran into one of the railings 17 years ago and you can still see the dent.”

Mr Anderson first raised his concerns with the Castle Point Highways Panels, which supervises the borough’s transport works.

The railings, which will cost about £100,000 to replace, were put on a list of intended works in early 2008 but nothing was done.

The work is expected to take place in April at the earliest.

Mr Anderson said: “They were on the list from before the recession, so they can’t blame the Government’s austerity measures. People are paying their council tax and I don’t think they are getting a good return for their money.”

Ray Howard, Essex County Councillor for Canvey, said: “It’s a shame those railings are one of the first things you see when you come on to Canvey. It comes down to money and there isn’t very much of it about at the moment.”