THE safety of the bus lane on Winwick Road at Tesco is being reconsidered by the borough council.

It survived a vote to close it last year - but the council is looking at it again.

The Warrington Guardian can also reveal the police's concerns for safety on the lane after a Freedom of Information request.

The police's report on the lane to the council said: "Its presence has been the cause of some concern since it was introduced. It has presented a danger to road safety. There have been minor collisions caused by the movement of vehicles from the inside lane to the outside lane at its start.

"There is little advance warning of the bus lane.

"Drivers not familiar with the road suddenly try to move into the outside lane to prevent entering the bus lane, which would be an offence and the driver liable to a fine.

"This has also led to road rage, where drivers in the outside lane are not prepared to allow drivers to enter.

"This has led to the build up of traffic due to the movement of vehicles from two lanes into one and this has, in turn, caused - at times - significant tail back of vehicles. There is no benefit gained by the bus lane...over such a short distance."

Phil Johnson, head of highways for the borough council, said the safety of the bus lane was being assessed and that action would be taken if the audit concludes as much.

Nigel Featham, managing director of Warrington Borough Transport, said: "The main issue for us is the currently un-opened bus only' link between Winwick Road and Winwick Street. We believe that if this was brought into use it would help make services using that area more reliable."