The problem of rat-running is one that can blight residential communities as motorists try to avoid congestion blackspots or roadworks by nipping through side streets and across estates.

It’s not only an annoyance with noise and disturbance, but it can be a potentially-deadly pursuit as motorists unfamiliar with areas negotiate streets at speed where children might be playing.

Thus, so-called “traffic-calming” measures – bollards, sleeping policemen, chicanes – can provide relief from rat-runners and where they don’t deter them altogether, at least encourage them to slow down.

However, the “temporary” road closure measures which have been installed on Holme Wood appear to be failing, not least because they appear to be unpopular and, apparently, are being vandalised as a result.

With their bollards seemingly ripped out, the remaining barriers placed across the roads are more like squared-off speed bumps and are so high and steeply-angled that they are damaging cars, especially those of people who don’t seem to know they are there to stop traffic and are seeing them too late. Other people are evidently bypassing them altogether and mounting the pavements and grass verges, tearing up the ground and adding more danger to pedestrians.

More to the point, emergency services vehicles such as fire appliances have been having trouble negotiating these bumps, and have had to take similar drastic evasive action – although why they are not aware that the road is meant to be closed is unclear.

While these measures might have been implemented with the best of intentions, it seems that they are ultimately more confusing than they should be and could be causing more harm than good, and should perhaps be sent back to the drawing board.