A MOTORING expert has praised Bolton Council after his call for safety changes to a "boy racer lane" was answered.

Roy Sammons, chairman of Bolton Advanced Motorists, said he believed a road system put in place for the new Tesco store at Middlebrook was "an accident waiting to happen".

He complained that three lanes suddenly narrowed into two at the traffic lights near the Beehive roundabout. Mr Sammons nicknamed the third lane the "boy racer lane" because drivers raced to get away first and cut in on other vehicles.

The council defended the new road layout but pledged to put up signs to make the situation clearer to drivers.

Now the third lane has hatch markings and is bounded by hazard warning lines so that motorists are discouraged from using it.

Mr Sammons said: "This is a positive response to the safety of this junction and its success is amazing. I have not seen anyone enter the hatched area."

He also praised the council for changes to the road layout approaching the roundabout from De Havilland Way to give more space for the three lanes.

A council spokesman said: "We have made a number of alterations to the road layout at Middlebrook as a result of public consultation and observation of driver behaviour.

"A short three-lane stretch approaching the signals at Mansell Way from the Beehive has been reduced to two.

"The extra lane had been put in to increase capacity but observation revealed that it wasn't well used."