Outraged Trudy Thompson branded metal traffic barriers "booby traps" after one of them smashed into her car as she drove over it.

Oxfordshire County Council engineers apologised to Miss Thompson after the retractable bollard shot up into the vehicle chassis without warning, causing more than £350 worth of damage.

Miss Thompson, who recently moved to Oxfordshire, was driving in Merton Street, Oxford, on Saturday morning looking for a parking space. But as she passed into Oriel Square she was horrified to hear a loud bang as the bollard crashed into her vehicle.

As well as the damage to the car, which included dents in the chassis and a burst airbag, Miss Thompson suffered slight cuts and bruises.

Miss Thompson, of Spareacre Lane, Eynsham, said: "I have only recently moved to Oxfordshire so I don't know the area very well. As I was driving down the road I just followed another car when suddenly my car screeched to a halt.

"The air bag blew up in my face and I jumped out. I thought the car had exploded. It was like a booby trap."

The 27-year-old advertising executive added: "If the council is trying to prevent people driving down there, this is not the way to do it. If this had happened to an old person it would have been a real shock." The retractable bollards are part of the Oxford Transport Strategy traffic restrictions. Traffic can only pass through by using a swipe card or when the bollards are lowered from a control room.

Oxfordshire County Council engineer, David Clough, admitted there had been problems with the retractable bollards, which also operate in Turl Street, but said that generally they had proved a success.

He said in this case it was likely Miss Thompson had followed a permitted vehicle over the bollard which then came up and hit her car.

He said: "It is not impossible for this to happen, although it doesn't happen very often. We do regret when these accidents occur as it is obviously very unpleasant, but nothing is 100 per cent."

He added that the council was in the process of putting up warning signs.

Story date: Wednesday 27 October

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