A ROAD surfacing firm will be carrying out emergency safety checks on 10 Swindon roads after admitting they could be defective.

The revelation comes after the road surface in Queensfield, Upper Stratton, was labelled defective and had to be replaced.

It came after two separate accidents on the road since January.

Earlier this month a mother driving a BMW lost control of her car while driving round Queensfield.

She ended up in the front garden of one of the houses.

And last week residents in Queensfield received a letter from contractors Hanson informing them that the road surface was to be replaced after it failed a quality control test. But Hanson has now revealed that a further 10 roads in Swindon could have defects.

"When we did our quality control check we realised that the skid resistance rating was too low and so we went back to the council and said look we have a problem here,'" said David Weekes of Hanson.

"We are looking at 10 sites, but none of them are great long stretches of road and none are more than 20 or 30 metres in length, so they are unlikely to pose any risk.

"The roads are in residential areas or cul-de-sacs. We have held our hands up and said we have got it wrong and we will ensure the problems are rectified as quickly as possible."

But a resident directly affected by the unsafe roads says the problem could have caused a fatality.

In January a car crashed into Markus Lehmann's porch where his one-year-old daughter had been playing minutes earlier.

"If it had happened any sooner she would have been killed," he said.

"When the letter came through the door I was shocked.

"I've lived here for eight years and I think this is about the third time the road has been resurfaced."

And the 34-year-old thinks the council should now be paying the excess on his insurance.

"If it was the road surface that was faulty then surely the council should be claiming responsibility," he said.

"My premiums will now go up and I've lost my no claims so I'm the one that is losing out."

But a council spokesman said Hanson will pay for the repair of the road deficiencies.

He said: "The resurfacing of Queensfield was carried out for the council by contractors, Hanson Construction Projects.

"It became apparent on April 13, following an urgent investigation, that there was a problem with the skid-resistance of the surface that was laid in October.

"The contractor immediately put up warning signs and work to resurface the road, at their expense, began last Wednesday. This has now been completed.

"An independent material-testing organisation is currently checking the skid resistance at 10 other sites in Swindon that Hanson have recently resurfaced for the council.

"This work is not yet complete, but if any of the sites are found to have sub-standard skid resistance they will be repaired at Hanson's expense.

"It doesn't necessarily follow that all of the roads recently resurfaced will need to be repaired."

Danger

The sites are: Leicester Street; Lincoln Street; Oaksey Road; Berton Close; Okebourne Park; Willows Avenue; Avening Street; Cullerne Road; Caulfield Road; Ashley Close.