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Exning councillor uses kids' walkie-talkies to solve traffic jams

Jon London Handmade road signJon London
Jon London made his own signs to try to direct traffic diverting through his village

A couple used handmade road signs and their children's walkie-talkies to direct traffic in their village when road closures caused long tailbacks.

Jon London, a councillor for Exning in Suffolk, said frustration got the better of him when two main roads were shut, shifting traffic to his village.

The problems were caused by planned gas works and a burst water main. Anglian Water apologised for the latter.

Burwell, across the border in Cambridgeshire, has also been affected.

Part of the B1103 Burwell Road between Exning and Burwell has been shut for gas mains work until 1 September.

A water main then ruptured on the B1102 Ness Road in Burwell, leading to gridlock.

Rob Hoe, Burwell's village barber, described the situation as "havoc" and said: "It's a bit impossible."

He said he was calling it "the Isle of Burwell", as it was so difficult to get in or out of the village.

John Devine/BBC Road closure signs in Burwell, CambridgeshireJohn Devine/BBC
Road closures in Burwell, Cambridgeshire, are adding to motorists' woes across the border in Suffolk

Mr London, a Liberal Democrat councillor on West Suffolk District Council, took matters into his own hands when traffic began building up as motorists sought various routes around the closures.

He and his wife borrowed their children's walkie-talkies and stood on Heath Road in Exning trying to control increasing numbers of vehicles.

"We had to enact community traffic management just to get it flowing," he told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

Jon London Child with walkie-talkiesJon London
Mr London and his wife borrowed their children's toy walkie-talkies to communicate while directing traffic

"The road is incredibly narrow and it's pretty much the only way in and out of Burwell - and you can't get two cars down because there are cars parked both sides of the road.

"It was taking people about 40 minutes for what's normally a 10-second drive from one end of [this part of the road] to the other, so we got together with members of the community... directing traffic... but this is so far outside the remit of a district councillor."

Liberal Democrats Jon LondonLiberal Democrats
Jon London said a 10-second drive was taking 40 minutes

A spokesperson for Anglian Water said: "We are sorry for any traffic disruption between Burwell and Fordham.

"Anglian Water attended an emergency burst water main in the area which was more challenging and complex than initially anticipated and as such we closed the road for safety reasons."

The company said repairs had been completed and it hoped to have the road surface repaired by the end of the week.

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