NUISANCE parkers illegally mounting a pavement in a “dangerous” town centre area have smashed it to pieces just months after a council repaired it.

In December, Highways restored the pavement outside Trafford House, in Station Way, Basildon and issued 50 tickets to drivers parked there.

But now about 60 pavement slabs are broken and loose because residents from Trafford House and other drivers have been mounting the pavement to get close to Basildon Train Station.

When our reporter attended the scene a Trafford House resident, who did not want to be named, said “parking there was his only option” and he had “never received a ticket.”

A councillor and taxi driver said people are constantly tripping over the broken slabs and residents are often involved in near misses with cars.

Cabbie Vijay Patel, 56, from Basildon, picks up commuters from the taxi rank outside Trafford House.

He said: “I often just sit here watching people nearly trip over, it’s ridiculous.

“Also, the speed you see some of these drivers mounting the pavement at is dangerous and frightening.

“You get hundreds of commuters walking through there in rush hour, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

Councillors Stephen Hodge, of Ukip, and Kerry Smith, Independence from the EU, who both represent Nethermayne, started a petition after seeing the state of the pavement.

It collected more than 150 signatures in just two hours from people wanting the council to take action to fix the dangerous stones.

Mr Smith, said: “I’ve received numerous calls from elderly residents saying they have nearly been hit by a car.

“It’s a common conversation.

“The council needs to act now - it’s a farce.”

A spokesperson for Essex Highways said: “Our engineers have previously carried temporary repairs but motorists continue to mount the pavement to access private land. We are considering the best permanent solutions to the issue, and this may include enforcement action.”