A VIGILANTE driver sawed off what was thought to be a vandal-proof wooden bollard after plastic ones were damaged 20 times.
In recent months thousands of pounds has been poured into replacing the safety bollards, which have divided opinions among locals.
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The pillars are intended to create a Low Traffic Neighbourhood in Oxford by stopping cars and motorcyclists travelling onto residential streets.
Some locals praised the idea, saying the bollards had cut crime and traffic fumes on near their homes.
But others slammed the idea as they couldn’t use particular residential roads.
This has seen some locals even break the law and destroy the bollards on multiple occasions.
The pillars have been repeatedly damaged – including being driven over, pulled out of the ground and even set on fire – since they were installed by the council in May last year.
And last night a vigilante driver took matters into their own hands again – sawing off what was thought to be a vandal-proof bollard.
The “anti-vandal” wooden post on Clive Road had only been standing for 10 days before it was reduced to a stump.
This comes after the Oxfordshire County Council spent thousands installing the new wooden bollards after more than 20 plastic ones were vandalised.
The latest destruction comes just one week after Amir Steve Ali, a campaigner in Oxford, spoke about the bollards.
He said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s vandalised again soon. It’s costing the taxpayers thousands of pounds to fix every time as well.
“The LTN in general is great for this road but it pushes all the traffic out of Howard Street and onto nearby Cowley Road.
“There’s more congestion and more pollution in Oxford than ever before. The problem has just been moved to another street. It’s like chucking your rubbish next door.”
However, the Oxfordshire County Council has today dubbed the vandalism as a “significant safety risk”.
A spokesman from the council said: “We take the damage to the bollard on Clive Road very seriously. It presents a significant safety risk to road users, pedestrians and cyclists alike, and can impede emergency services access.
“Our contractors are making it safe as a priority.”
The spokesman continued: “Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Oxford are intended to make residential streets safer and more comfortable for walking, wheeling and cycling.
“All plastic bollards used in the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were replaced with sturdier timber bollards.
“The new bollards were chosen in consultation with emergency services and our highways engineers, learning from other areas that had experienced similar issues.
“These actions were in response to a number of vandalism incidents.”
It comes after one Oxford bollard was dubbed the most hated in the UK – with vandals snapped on CCTV destroying it.
A tracking device was even installed in the pillar in an attempt to stop vigilantes taking off with it.
