FEARS that it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident at the fire station crossroads in Bordon were expressed on Monday.

Concern that the computer system installed to monitor the traffic and operate the lights is not working effectively was expressed by Whitehill Town Council's planning and amenities committee.

Councillors fear that the "faulty" system, combined with peak traffic flows and queues, is a recipe for disaster.

Town clerk Linda Tiley said: "In the morning all the queues on the A325 are northbound and in the evening they are southbound.

"Sometimes the traffic jams back up all the way to Bucks Horn Oak, sometimes we have a long, long queue the other way.

"Surely, by now, the system knows where the traffic flows are heading."

Town mayor Neil Ockenden pointed out that traffic from Lindford, which crosses the A325 at the crossroads, is also being affected and is backed up in the mornings.

"I think that the problems have been exacerbated by the work at Broxhead Common at the moment," he suggested.

Mr Ockenden said that the repeater light (the light furthest away from approaching traffic) was also causing problems.

Effectiveley it led drivers to think they could make it across only to find that, as a result of the traffic jams, they were marooned in the middle of the junction.

"There is a repeater light southbound and I can't tell you how many times a car has been trapped in the middle," he said.

"That repeater light is seriously dangerous."

Mr Ockenden told the council that years ago there was a serious accident at the crossroads and he feared that there could be a repeat incident.

He also urged drivers to be aware that many of the soldiers driving tanks and other Army vehicles around the town are learner drivers, and as a result need a wider berth.

"They do a wonderful job and there are many near-accidents which are not their fault," he said.

Whitehill Town Council has been complaining about the fire station crossroads for some time.

And it is not alone. Lindford Parish Council has also complaining that the filter lanes and closure of the turning at Broxhead Common have meant that traffic now backs all the way from the traffic lights to the village in the morning rush hour.

However, on Monday Mr Ockenden was most concerned at the possibility of more traffic accidents.

"If nothing is done, then one of these days there is going to be a nasty accident," he said.