A fed-up resident is angry after a council backtracked on plans to resurface a “dangerous” access track.

Halstead paramedic Dean Jay, 44, claims Essex County Council (ECC) last year agreed to carry out improvements to the track at the rear of his home in Bois Field Terrace, Halstead.

However, he has allegedly since been told the work will no longer go ahead and that the poor state of the track is down to private use.

Mr Jay, whose home can only be accessed by foot at the front, is frustrated by the U-turn.

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “Remedial works were undertaken to blacktop footpath in front of the properties.

"The section that that is being referred to has been damaged by the private use of vehicles over a public footpath and there are no public vehicular rights at this location.

"Maintenance is for the public rights only, i.e. pedestrians on a footpath, whereas the damage has been caused by private vehicles on this footpath.”