USERS of Colchester’s Mersea Road have another traffic trauma to contend with.

After trying to avoid the town’s numerous potholes, they say a recently relaid road is causing grief.

Pedestrians have been hit by loose road chips thrown up by vehicles and cars have also been damaged.

Victoria Munson, 34, was walking with her three children when her eight-year-old son was hit in the chest by one of the stones. Her nephew was hit in the eye as he walked home from school.

She said: “The stones were flying everywhere. It was frightening. I was telling the boys to cover their faces. If the road isn’t safe then surely they should stop people walking by it.”

A 20mph speed limit was put in place on the road, but cab driver Craig Ide, from Colchester, said chips had cracked his front window, and scratched it in a number of places. It will cost about £500 to replace and is not covered under his insurance.

He said: “I’ve just spent a fortune on the car and now this. You were just peppered with stones. Lots of cars in the other direction were stopping.

They were definitely being hit.”

He believes the works should have been signposted further away, so people could chose to avoid the area. The work was due to finish yesterday.

An Essex Highways spokesperson said: “There will be three routine sweeps in the first seven days after the dressing has been laid and engineers will monitor the road over the coming week. All compensation claims are investigated fully and damages paid if the council is liable.’’