A former police inspector has labelled the refurbished Bexleyheath Broadway "ridiculous" weeks after a motorcyclist was knocked off his bike.

Last month News Shopper revealed how Francis White, 44, was hit by a car from behind when he paused to let a pedestrian cross.

Mr White said there "would be fatalities" on the busy junction which was redone by Bexley Council around a year ago.

The chairman of Bexley Voluntary Forum (BVF) Ian Lindon has echoed these concerns.

The Basing Drive resident told News Shopper he and his BVF colleagues were lobbying the council to change the crossing.

He said: "We are not going to go away.

"I think it is very dangerous and I’ve complained to Boris Johnson about it.

"When I met the man who helped design it, we walked around the space, and I noticed six near misses. He didn’t notice anything.

"I am collecting a list of incidents so I can go to Bexley Council and say the situation is getting ridiculous.

"We discussed it at a meeting last month and we had been told the local blind association had been consulted, but then one of their representatives told me they hadn’t."

News Shopper: 'Ridiculous' Bexleyheath Broadway crossing continues to anger residents

The retired police superintendent is frustrated with the lack of clarity at the crossing.

He said: "It seems like a crossing, there’s a sign showing someone crossing but it’s actually a 'shared space'. And they’ve won an award for it.

"The trouble is in the case of Mr White (pictured below) is that the person before him wouldn’t have been able to see it’s a kind of crossing and so knocks into him because that driver would not have known someone was crossing.

"We will be discussing it at our next voluntary sector meeting and I would ask anyone who has suffered accidents on this crossing to contact me."

Fellow Bexley resident Joe Clark, 26, of Conference Road, told News Shopper: “The new road layout at Bexleyheath Broadway is baffling.

“Introducing non-standard roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and pavements has led to confusion amongst drivers and pedestrians alike – this will only lead to serious accidents.”

However the council say the refurbishment has made the area safer.

News Shopper: Mr White suffered an accident on the crossing

A spokeswoman for Bexley Council said: “The incident News Shopper reported on last month is the first collision the council is aware of in the area since the scheme was completed nine months ago.

“CCTV footage of that incident has shown that a stationary motorcyclist was struck from behind by a car, which is more suggestive of careless driving rather than anything else.

“Prior to the introduction of the scheme 17 recorded personal injury collisions were recorded (five of which were serious) over a three year period, demonstrating the scheme is already providing great improvements in safety.

“The area is based on the Department for Transport’s 'shared space' concept, which aims to create a better balance of priorities between drivers and pedestrians. The 20mph zone helps facilitate this.

“The distinctly striped crossings, together with tactile paving and mounted signs show all road users where pedestrians are expected to cross.

“Legally they have the status of pedestrian refuge islands, but the striped pattern is to encourage drivers and cyclists to stop as they enter and leave the junction if pedestrians are waiting to cross.”

Email IanLindon1@aol.com if you would like to contact him about concerns over the Broadway.