STAFF who walk to work at a Swindon company, and who have to either mix with traffic, or battle an obstacle course to get to the office, might soon have a safer route in to their desk.

Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, which has an office building at Lydiard Fields off Great Western Way wants to construct a footpath for its staff, especially to keep them safer on a dangerous corner.

The company has applied for permission from Wiltshire Council - the trading estate on the western edge of Swindon, near to Junction 16 of the M4 is actually in that authority's area.

At the moment the footpath to the company's building runs out before a right-angle corner at a mini-roundabout junction.

Staff and visitors walking to the front of the building are then forced either to walk in the road, with traffic taking the corner possibly unable to see them, or they have to walk on the grass verge, which is actually blocked by small boulders and bollards.

The only safe walking route involves crossing three or four roads to stay on a proper footpath.

If given permission the pavement will be pale brown in colour and metre high high visibility yellow steel bollards will be placed on the section running around the corner to keep pedestrians safe.

Johnson Matthey's application to the council says work should take two or three days on the road

Traffic cones and signs will be placed next to the line of the proposed path, and the company's traffic plan says it will ensure traffic both ways will be able to pass along the road while work is carried out