A 'FURIOUS and aggressive driver' tried to ram his vehicle into peaceful protestors.

Oxford Pedestrian Association (OxPed) took to Oriel Square on Friday to protest in order to stop cars illegally passing through the road to avoid the functional traffic cameras on the High Street.

Bollards there are meant to rise between 7.30am and 6.30pm, only being lowered for emergency vehicles and other vehicles with permitted access, but have been broken for ‘about four years’.

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Drivers quickly turned 'aggressive', however, swearing and threatening the protestors.

One particularly 'angry' motorist tried to drive his car into the protestors. 

Sushila Dhall, who is chair of OxPed, said the incident had left the campaigners frightened. 

She said: "The driver drove first into the human bollards on the correct, left side of the road.

"First he asked what we were doing, then shouted he had an appointment and swore, then reversed quickly and drove forwards through those of us on the wrong side of the road.

"Once he had pushed us backwards through the barrier we fell back and he carried on along the street.

"We called the police."

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The police are said to have stood between the cars and the protestors until their protest was over.

Ms Dhall added: "We were mobbed by angry drivers, some of whom were engaging with us in debate about why we are doing this, some of whom were furious and aggressive.

"We were all ok but I was shaken up and thought somebody could actually get seriously hurt here.

"We decided to have more of us at these actions in future, for safety reasons."

This is not the first time OxPed protestors at Oriel Square have been threatened by drivers attempting to drive into them.

In April another angry 'mob' of drivers confronted the campaigners. 

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The county council has said new rising bollards have now be installed with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and CCTV cameras installed in five sites, including on Turl Street, Oriel Square, Cornmarket, Broad Street, and Aristotle Lane.

However, it needs to install a new broadband connection for the ANPR camera and CCTV to work so emergency vehicles and residents can get through the bollards without delay, as well as ensuring the bollards are lifted up safely.