COUNCILLORS have warned a toucan crossing due to be installed on a busy Darlington road will be dangerous.

Tory members Tony Richmond and Charles Johnson told a full council meeting on Thursday that the toucan crossing -for both cyclists and pedestrians - in Carmel Road North, due to be put in place this spring, would be close to the brow of a hill and not visible to approaching drivers.

Councillor Johnson said: "I want to place on record my great concern at the siting of this crossing."

Councillor Richmond said: "I can't think of a worse location for a toucan crossing."

Councillor Nick Wallis said he was satisfied that the right location had been chosen.

"I can't give a guarantee that this crossing is completely safe," he said. "It depends very much on the way in which drivers drive and the way pedestrians use the crossing.

"There's always some risk involved with particular road junctions."

But Coun Richmond told The Northern Echo: "It means traffic coming from Woodland Road won't have sight of it until it's over the brow of the hill. In our view, it is dangerous."