Drivers to face fines at Walsall junction

Drivers who flout the law by ignoring a new road layout in a Black Country town centre will be hit with fines as police step up their monitoring of the situation.

Officers in Walsall will be carrying out checks at the junction of Hatherton Road and Lichfield Street in the run up to Christmas.

They say motorists have been ignoring restrictions which came into force earlier this year banning right turns into Lichfield Street from Hatherton Road.

In a recent crackdown, 51 penalty tickets carrying a £30 fine were handed out to drivers. In the first month of the new layout officers issued warnings rather than tickets to allow motorists to get used to the new rules.

But tougher action is now being taken with police vowing to tackle illegal manoeuvres. Hatherton Road is now closed to all through traffic at the junction of Hatherton Street apart from buses and bicycles.

A contra-flow bus lane has been created.

Cars travelling along Hatherton Street and into Hatherton Road should now only go left when they get to Lichfield Street and not past the town hall.

The changes fit in with the new Tesco superstore which is opening in the town. Work on the store started in April and it is due to open on December 6 after construction was fast-tracked.