SIR: I knew it would happen sooner or later; I just didn’t think it would happen to me. I was in a traffic queue in North Walls, stopped at the traffic lights at the road that leads to the Recreation Centre. The lights turned green, the cars in front of me moved off, but my car refused to move. In no time flat, I could hear hooting and shouting behind me as the traffic built up, but, try as I might, my car wouldn’t start up. There was no way a rescue vehicle could have reached me because of the barriers erected, sealing off half the road, to ensure social distancing. If I, or anyone else had been injured, an ambulance could not have got anywhere near where I was as the traffic by that time was stacked up goodness knows how far back down Andover Road, Stockbridge Road and Jewry Street and probably beyond.

I was fortunate in that a driver offered to push me out of the way and I was able to quietly work out what had happened and then continue on my way home.

I hope the council will read this letter and think again about the wisdom of social distancing measures down North Walls and for any other scheme they may have in mind for creating a single lane carriageway with no access for emergency vehicles.

Sue Webb (Mrs),

Quarry Road,

Winchester