CHIPPENHAM NEWS: MOVES to make Wiltshire's most dangerous road crossing a safer place for pedestrians has been delayed after thieves stole a lorry load of paving slabs.

Work began three weeks ago to overhaul a zebra crossing on Pickwick Road, Corsham, in a bid to make the crossing safer for school children and shoppers.

Wiltshire County Council statistics reveal the crossing opposite the library is the most dangerous in the county with six accidents between January 2000 and June 2003 alone.

But thieves have forced work on the crossing to stop after stealing £10,000 worth of uncut paving stone from the back of a lorry.

Corsham town councillor Roy Jackson said: "It's pathetic. These stones must be quite valuable and it is pathetic people will stoop to these levels. I can't understand people like that.

"This crossing has been delayed for quite a long time and I believe they may be strapped for cash.

"If the flagstones have been stolen they are in trouble and are going to have to find more money from somewhere."

Wiltshire County Council has said the slabs were stolen from a lorry in the north of England before it was preparing to deliver the stone to Corsham.

The theft means the crossing will now be made safe by the end of July, more than three weeks behind schedule.

Corsham town councillor Jock Fraser works part-time at West County Cleaners on Pickwick Road.

He said: "I hope that they get on with the crossing first of all and worry about the stone slabs later.

"As long as there is a crossing the stone slabs can be put down at any time."

Senior traffic technician Sarah Baldwin has been in Corsham town centre making shops aware of the delay and disruption.

She said: "The stones are quite substantial and were being prepared to be shipped down to Wiltshire when they were stolen last week.

"They were the same type of stones that are used in the rest of Corsham town centre and some of the money was raised by North Wiltshire District Council.

"It is very unfortunate that they have been stolen because £10,000 is a lot of money.

"But our contractor has reassured us that the cost is covered by the suppliers and insurance company.

"It has given us a date of two or three weeks before they can be replaced.

"This week all the workers left the site, filled in all the holes as if they hadn't even been there and they plan to come back in three weeks to save disruption to businesses and traffic."

Work is set to start on July 5 and the new safer crossing is scheduled to be completed three weeks later.