A COUNCIL has confirmed a bollard ‘greased’ in what appeared to be anti-vandal paint has now been made safe.

The bollard in the Littlemore Road low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) was reportedly greased to prevent it being pulled out of the ground.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council told the Oxford Mail that the incident was reported to the local authority, and its contracting team has now ‘made the bollard safe’.

PICTURES: LTN bollard covered in ‘anti-vandal paint’

The spokesperson added: “This is obviously something we take very seriously, as tampering with bollards can present a significant safety risk to road users, pedestrians and cyclists alike.

“We remain committed to making safe and reinstating any damaged filters, each time at significant cost to the taxpayer.”

In June, the county council revealed that it had spent £12,000 on repairs to bollards and planters in the East Oxford area of the scheme.

Amir Steve Ali spotted the Littlemore Road bollard earlier today, and told this newspaper: “I’m not sure if it’s a pro-LTN person, but this bollard is covered in black grease.

“Someone has poured black grease on this bollard so I guess if anyone tries to remove this bollard their hand will be full of black grease, I guess it’s criminal damage.”

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This story was written by Liam Rice, he joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.

Liam covers politics, travel and transport. He occasionally covers Oxford United.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Liam.rice@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailLiamRice