Rogue slug brings Darlington traffic to standstill (From The Northern Echo)
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Rogue slug brings Darlington traffic to standstill
12:30am Wednesday 14th September 2011 in News
By Lauren Pyrah, Deputy Business Editor
UNDER ATTACK: The traffic lights at the junction of Whinfield Road and Whinbush Way
A WAYWARD slug caused traffic chaos after it crawled into traffic lights and shorted a circuit board.
Council engineers were stumped when the lights went out and called in contractors after one of Darlington’s major junctions was brought to a standstill on Friday morning.
The contractors found the slug’s body when they opened the control box at the lights in Whinfield Road’s junction with Whinbush Way, near Asda.
The lights were fixed by noon after the circuit board was replaced. The control box will be sealed to stop other creatures getting in.
Councillor Chris McEwan, Darlington Borough Council’s member for Haughton East, said he had received a number of complaints from residents about traffic delays on Friday.
He said: “There had been a few complaints about the lights for the past few weeks, so I just thought it was more teething problems.
"A slug was certainly the last thing I was expecting to have caused the problem.
“We do not know how long the slug had been there.
Unfortunately, it was dead by the time we found it, so we were unable to question it.
“Sadly, you just can’t legislate for a rogue slug trying to take out Darlington’s traffic system.”
A council spokeswoman said: “The lights have been in place since March this year. Over the last month, we have experienced a number of faults with them and have been monitoring the situation closely.
“The control box will be resealed this week and this should prevent any more small creatures from accessing this area and, hopefully, see an end to the recent spate of technical problems we have experienced with the lights.
“We would like to thank residents and road users for their patience.”
Comments(14)
smokin
says...
9:53am Wed 14 Sep 11
jabdc5, the land that's still trying to recover from the last tory government.
says...
10:12am Wed 14 Sep 11
smokin
says...
11:16am Wed 14 Sep 11
harry2
says...
12:14pm Wed 14 Sep 11
David Lacey
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3:29pm Wed 14 Sep 11
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How dare this journal describe jumped up handymen as engineers? To be an engineer you have to be Chartered and this means membeship of one of the professional bodies such as the Institute of Electrical Engineers.
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Had a proper qualified engineer turned out the problem would have been identified and fixed in seconds.
Laird
says...
4:13pm Wed 14 Sep 11
To be an Engineer you do not need to be Chartered.
You sound like you know what you are talking about - but unfortunately you are spouting a load of tosh.
paul1963
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5:11pm Wed 14 Sep 11
Nicholas_Till
says...
6:54pm Wed 14 Sep 11
Just think - the slug put out their lights for *nothing*! We in Durham have had to watch Durham City Vandal, the Council and endless cowboy consultants and contractors banjax the vital lights in Saddler Street, and then put them back,for some pretty large amount of money.
Mind, they did put them back, and are thus probably still maintaining a hair's-breadth lead over the capabilities of a slug. But who knows, in little sheds and attics all over Darlington the fanatical workforce of the Tornado and other enterprises is probably breeding smart slugs that can re-wire lights and other useful stuff and don't need more than the contents of a compost bag now and then.
harry2
says...
7:09pm Thu 15 Sep 11
schindler
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8:15pm Fri 16 Sep 11
antihypocrisy
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11:11am Sat 17 Sep 11
Laird wrote:As he always does! the likes of him, DM and NS are no better than trolls! taking every chance to ridicule ANY opposing opinion. In my opinion they all need to get out more and experience real life instead of using these pages 24/7. Its pretty obvious, however, they have no one to preach to in the "real world" so are left with a lonely cyberlife to spout their hate!
Wrong Mr Lacey,
To be an Engineer you do not need to be Chartered.
You sound like you know what you are talking about - but unfortunately you are spouting a load of tosh.
Lifetime Townie
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8:50pm Sun 18 Sep 11
Zach S.
says...
3:56am Mon 19 Sep 11
harry2 says...
9:29am Wed 14 Sep 11