A CANVEY road has been labelled an assault course for pedestrians.

Heavy lorries have been spotted parking on the pavement along Haven Road, causing collapsed kerbs and uneven drain covers.

Residents say pavements have become so covered with holes, crumbling concrete and overgrown bushes, they are forced to walk in the road.

Canvey Island Independent Party councillor Jane King, who lives in Haven Road, said: “It’s a nightmare to walk along the path.

“It’s like an assault course down there and it’s dangerous for everyone. My main concern is for children on bikes, elderly people or those in wheelchairs. They could end up really hurt.

“It’s a well used road for people wanting to enjoy a drink or a meal at the Lobster Smack pub or those wanting to head down to the seafront.

“I’ve been trying to get something done for years, but Haven Road seems to have been forgotten about. It’s not fair on the people of Canvey.”

Councillors hoped work on the Roscommon Way extension, which was completed in December 2011, would also incorporate repairs to Haven Road, but it has remained untouched by Essex County Council.

Steven Cole, who sits on the county highways panel for Castle Point Council, said: “I want the road sorted.

“I have been down it so many times and it’s in a really poor state. People of all ages and abilities want to be able to get out and about, but they are being stopped because of these lorries and the poor state of the kerbs along Haven Road.”

Highways officers from Essex County Council visited Haven Road last week to assess the damage after complaints from residents and councillors, but the repairs have not been given a high priority.

Regular site visits will take place, but specific details of vehicles causing the damage are needed before County Hall will intervene.

A county council spokesman said: “Essex Highways is aware of the concerns raised regarding this area.A highways inspector will be visiting the site in due course to conduct a robust assessment of the footway defects. If a repair is deemed necessary following this inspection, it will be scheduled in a timescale in accordance with the highways maintenance policy.”