BOY racers speeding along a cycle path in their cars have reached the end of the line after a North Somerset village won its year-long battle to get bollards replaced.

Flax Bourton Parish Council, working with national cycling body Sustrans, has been lobbying North Somerset Council to re-instate concrete structures at the entrance of Station Road, which were removed when the path, which runs from Nailsea to Bristol, was resurfaced.

Writing in the parish magazine, clerk Ruth Eager said: “During the last three months the council had received a number of complaints about a variety of dangerous incidents that had occurred on the cycle path.

“These included young people racing cars along the path, speeding cyclists, one of which hit a dog, and cars mistaking the path for a road, resulting in cars becoming stuck and one crashing into a lamppost.”

She said the council is pleased the bollards have now been replaced and hope it puts the brakes on it happening again.

She added: “Another issue is cyclists think they have free reign because it is a cycle path but they have to share it with pedestrians too.

“We want to get the message across to ride considerately– if you get hit by a flying pushbike you are going to know it.”

Scheme manager for Sustrans, Rupert Crosbee, said they had to nag North Somerset Council to get the bollards back but it was worth it because no incidents had been reported since.

He said: “There are so many people who use it that on the whole it discourages anti-social behaviour.

“But we will continue to monitor the situation.”

North Somerset Council transport planning officer Kate Cochrane said: “The bollards were removed whilst the route was being resurfaced but there was a problem with weeds coming up through it so they had to be treated before it could be repaired.

“We are aware residents of Rosemount Road want more signs and bollards but the route has been assessed by Sustrans and we agree not a lot more can be done at this time because it’s a shared path with plenty of signs.

“We will continue to talk to the parish council to see if anything more can be done.”