MOTORISTS who are persistently ignoring road rules in a busy town centre street are putting other drivers and pedestrians in danger, it was claimed today.

MOTORISTS who are persistently ignoring road rules in a busy town centre street are putting other drivers and pedestrians in danger, it was claimed today.

A large number of drivers are regularly ignoring a ban on cars along a section of Dog's Head Street which was put in place to improve traffic flow and make the town centre safer.

In just half-an-hour an Evening Star photographer snapped 12 drivers on the part of Dog's Head Street where only taxis, buses, trucks using it for unloading and some cars with permits are allowed to travel.

All other vehicles are not permitted to travel along that part of the road.

And Dog's Head Street surf-shop manager Beverley Jarvis says she even watches cars driving the wrong way along the small stretch of the one-way road.

Miss Jarvis, who manages Fluid, said: “It is a joke and an accident waiting to happen.

“At the start of this year we contacted the council about it but they didn't seem very interested and all they did was paint a white arrow on the road.

“Numerous drivers continuously break the rules and I dread the day I will watch a pedestrian being run over.”

Ipswich Borough Council introduced the restrictions, which run from the Cattle Market to the junction with Upper Brook Street.

A spokesman for the council said: “Dog's Head Street is an integral part of the town centre bus gyratory system aimed at improving access to the town centre for sustainable forms of transport such as public transport, cycling and walking.

“The council has taken a number of steps to improve the layout and signing in the street to inform the responsible, law-abiding driver that Dogs Head Street/Old Cattle Market should not be used as a through route in contravention of traffic regulation orders.

“However we are aware that there are a considerable number of drivers who habitually and knowingly ignore these rules and regulations causing potential danger and confusion to user road users.”

Suffolk police are in charge of ensuring the rules are kept and say they regularly go out to try and patrol motorists in the area.

A police spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the problems and whenever we have the resources we do patrol the area.

“However we do not have the resources to patrol the area 24/7 and we do not get many complaints about it.

“When we get a complaint in we always go out and check it.”

In 2003 a 12-hour traffic survey taken on a typical day showed 871 cars drove illegally down Dog's Head Street and Upper Brook Street, which has similar restrictions.