A crocodile of protesters target the official opening of a £6 million road scheme which they claim is a death-trap.

The demonstrators, who live in the Brow area of Haworth, claim Bradford Council has left out vital safety measures after 14 months of work on Hebden Road.

They are also concerned about the junction of Brow Top and Hebden Road, which they say should have been made safer as part of the improvements. Dozens of protesters blocked the path of Worth Valley Councillor Mike Young on Saturday as he tried to cut the ribbon to re-open the road which links Haworth and Oxenhope.

Today, Councillor Latif Darr, chairman of the highways and transportation committee, said he and a senior engineer would meet the protesters to discuss their concerns.

Resident Rose Greenwell said: "We certainly made them sit up and take notice. We were shouting and waving our banners which said 'Safety Saves Lives.'

"We had a lot of support and it was an excellent turnout by the residents .

"There have been lots of accidents on the road and there's going to be a death at that junction if something isn't done.

"Millions of pounds have been spent improving it but some very sharp bends have been put in.

"We were angry that they spent all this money and time on the road yet ignored a highly dangerous junction only a few feet away. The councillors did listen to what we had to say and Latif Darr said he would have a meeting with us and look into the issues. But we don't want false promises, we want them to do something before it's too late.

"It's like building a house for the disabled but not putting up the ramp." Councillor Young (Lab) said: "The protesters were there but they didn't stop us from opening the road.

"As far as I can see, they weren't objecting to the opening of the road. Their problem was with a junction they feel is dangerous. It was a separate issue.

"They had a viewpoint and we spoke to them for quite some time and listened to what they had to say.

"I understand their concerns and have enormous sympathy with them. The council will address the problems at the junction in due course."

Councillor Young said Hebden Road was now fully open to motorists and diversion signs had been removed.

Councillor Darr said: "There were some people who were there to say thank you for the excellent work - but they were shouted down by other people. It was disappointing."

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