Devizes town councillors have expressed concern that motorists are ignoring signs banning right turns from Gains Lane into Sidmouth Street.

Councillor Charles Winch-combe, who brought the matter to the attention of the town council’s planning committee on Tuesday evening, warned it was only a matter of time before someone was hurt or killed at the junction.

He told the meeting: “I have witnessed on two occasions recently traffic turning right into Sidmouth Street. It is an accident waiting to happen. The problem is that if you’re behind a big bus, you can’t see the ‘no right turn’ sign.”

A report to Tuesday evening’s meeting said that Coun Winchcombe had raised the issue in the past and adjustments had been made to the signage by county highways officials.

But the report continues: “The problem of motorists turning right into Sidmouth Street is increasing and making the junction hazardous for other road users and pedestrians.

“The pedestrian crossing causes motorists to stop but the signage is not clearly visible if in a queue of traffic, so another review is requested.”

Coun Peter Evans told the meeting that the community traffic group of the Devizes Area Community Partner-ship is aware of the problem.

He said: “They are going to look at it and come back to us.”

The problem of access to Sidmouth Street has been a bone of contention since the Gains Lane link scheme was built in the early 1990s.

Motorists wanting to turn into Sidmouth Street from Gains Lane are supposed to go onto the roundabout outside Roses the Ironmongers and turn back on themselves – but this has caused problems with cars coming from Southbroom Road expecting them to go on towards the roundabout at the Green, rather than keep turning towards Sidmouth Street.

Wiltshire Council’s planning consultants have recommended a complete reorganisation of the junction, but that would involve removing the roundabout at the Green which hosts the PHAB Club’s floral display.