SOUTHAMPTON City Council seems to have a mania for expanding the pavements at junctions.

This has been done at Town Quay, removing a useful filter-lane for turning off into High Street, and now the same idiocy is being inflicted on Luccombe Road at its junction with Winchester Road, in Shirley.

Originally, two vehicles could position themselves for turning left and right at the same time. Not any more.

The inevitable consequence will be increased congestion, with traffic backed-up down Luccombe Road.

What chump, masquerading as a Highways Engineer, thinks this is a good idea?

It is also a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money, when nearby Ivanhoe Road is blighted with pot-holes.

COLIN HINGSTON, (UKIP, Southampton Test branch)