COUNCILLORS in Crewe have agreed to part fund signage on a pathway used by bikes to head off collisions with pedestrians.

The dual-use pathway, part of the Crewe to Nantwich Greenway, runs from near to the Rising Sun public house on Middlewich Road alongside Valley Brook and King George V playing fields up to Coppenhall Lane.

It includes several blind bends which make it difficult for pedestrians and dog walkers to anticipate the progress of cyclists, while flooding of the brook during the winter has left the surface slippery and treacherous.

Minshull Vernon Parish Council asked Crewe Town Council for help paying for signage and improvements along the route, part of which falls within its parish.

Cllr Jamie Messent took a tour of the route with fellow Minshull Vernon councillor Phil Williams and said: "It is quite treacherous because of the weather and when I walked it there were plenty of cyclists using the pathway as well as dog walkers.

"It's quite slippy and the cyclists were flying past. There are a number of blind bends, but there is no signage up at all warning people."

Cllr Allan Coiley told the town council's operations and improvement committee, which met this week, that he recalled a recent "nasty accident" when a cyclist came off his bike on a slope and the air ambulance had to be called out.

Cllr Messent said: "We could have warning signs to slow down as some of the inclines on the pathway are quite steep."

Cllr Gary Palin said he regularly walked his dog along the route and was concerned about the interaction between cyclists and pedestrians.

"The problem I've had when is that you don't know the bikes are there, they just appear alongside you.

"When you're walking your dog you can sidestep to miss someone else, but quite easily end up with a pushbike up your back.

"On some cycle paths cyclists are being told to ring their bells to let people know they are there."

Councillors agreed to pay £2,500 to Minshull Vernon Parish Council to support its signage and volunteer work in Valley Brook.

That has been costed out a sum of £5,134 to lay out cycle logos and letters with messages declaring SLOW and DANGER along the length of the route.