Angry residents have claimed people’s lives are being put at risk by motorists ignoring diversion signs and driving on the pavements of a Wellington street.

A four-year-old boy was just one of the people nearly hit by a car while Severn Trent carries out work in the area, they have claimed.

Diversions have been set up in the area while the work is going on.

But residents said they were forced to seal off footpaths after motorists ignored diversions and drove down pavements.

Lizzie Eveson said her four-year-old son James Dunseath was nearly hit by a car as she and her partner, Sean, were leaving to take the boy to nursery on Monday.

“I was locking up the house and Sean had gone to the car,” she said. “He called James to come to him because he didn’t expect any car to come down the pavement.

“The driver must have put their foot down and gone down the pavement. A few seconds more and James would have been gone.”

Veronica Stanley and Ali Osman took surplus barriers and blocked off the pavements after hearing about James’s near miss.

Miss Stanley said: “But people have still got out of their cars and moved the barriers so they could drive down the pavements.”

She said she had taken video footage yesterday of taxi, van, motorbike and cars on the pavement.

Telford police spokesman Chris Ammonds said: “We have had a number of calls expressing concern about the traffic flow on Hollies Road.”

He added: “We are keeping an eye on the situation.”

By Jo Cunningham