POLICE are calling for the scrapping of a controversial bus lane which has sparked a number of road rage incidents.

Officers have compiled a catalogue of near misses, "inappropriate driving'' and road rage incidents sparked by Eaglescliffe's quarter-mile long green corridor.

Drivers travelling along the lane when it is not being used by buses find themselves hemmed in by other road users in the outside lane in Yarm Road.

Drivers turning out of a busy side road complain they are taking their lives in their hands.

In the interests of road safety, traffic lights may now be installed where the side road, Butts Lane, meets Yarm Road.

Traffic lights are one option in a new report drawn up by consultants brought in by Stockton Council to review the wisdom of installing the lane a year ago.

"I have serious concerns about that bus lane and serious reservations as to whether we need a bus lane,'' said Insp Colin White of Cleveland police.

"The three minutes saved on bus journey times in the three hours each day it is a bus lane seems disproportionate to the problems.''

He says drivers correctly using the bus lane could find themselves "dancing with death'' when trying to make a right-hand turn. Some road users were guilty of speeding.

Liberal Democrat ward Coun John Fletcher backed the introduction of a bus lane.

But he said that unless solutions were found for turning in and out of the Butts Lane junction, and to the bad driving experienced on Yarm Road, the bus lane might have to be scrapped. He said: "I hope there will be more public consultation on this.''

Coun Jeremy Atkinson, said: "Part of the problem is most people who live in the area know how to use the bus lane, whereas strangers don't. There are people during the hours when the bus lane is not in operation who still avoid it.''

A council spokesman said: " We can confirm a review has taken place and the police have been consulteds. We intend to circulate the consultants' report to ward councillors, town and parish councils.'