Fuming motorists are rallying against Sutton Council to remove controversial traffic islands on their road.

People living in Sutton Common Road claim to have seen a huge surge in accidents since the islands were added earlier this year.

Motorists have to veer around the islands, causing them to reduce their speed and drive more carefully. 

But residents report motorists often have near-misses after failing to swerve round the islands in time.

Three weeks ago an elderly woman crashed into one of the islands, and smashed into a Toyota parked on the side of the road.

The incident took place opposite number 468 Sutton Common Road where the islands are based.

Barry Hills, 59, who owns the Toyota, said: "It is lucky the car was there, because otherwise the woman could have gone straight through someone’s garden wall.

"The house there, children often play in that garden, so the consequences could have been a lot worse.

"There were not accidents here before the traffic islands, but now they have been built there are accidents all the time.

"Everyone around here wants them gone, drivers are grazing their tyres on them all the time."

Prospective parliamentary candidate Paul Scully, who will run to be a conservative MP for Sutton and Cheam next year, will be carrying out a survey along the whole of Sutton Common Road in the next couple of weeks.

The survey will ask people living there if they think the islands should be removed.

A spokesman for Sutton Council said: "The three traffic islands and central road markings were put in following a number of accidents along Sutton Common Road between A24 to A217, in which 27 people were injured.

"The accidents were due to loss of control, overtaking, and lack of awareness of hazards such as junctions.

"They discourage overtaking and reducing speeds. Our resources are limited so these projects are carefully considered from the start.

"We are happy to discuss any issues further with residents."