A SUPERMARKET chain’s delivery van had to be freed from mud after the driver tried to get round a road closure by mounting a footpath.

The van was caught on camera by a local resident as it tried to take a shortcut around the temporary closure on North Grange Avenue, Prestonpans, last week.

The pictures were shared at Prestonpans Community Council’s meeting last week by member Graeme Hutchison. He said he had been contacted by the resident, who was concerned by the number of drivers ignoring the barriers and using the footpath and grass verge.

He said: “The footpath is right at the barriers and someone is going to get hurt if drivers continue to mount it.”

The community council was asked to write to the firm Iceland to highlight the incident and ask East Lothian Council to extend the barriers.

A 20-metre stretch of the street was closed last month and diversions introduced after subsidence was discovered following extreme weather.

It was due to reopen at the end of March but it is understood the work is taking longer than planned.

East Lothian Council said the road was closed by the Coal Authority and a date for reopening had not been established. A spokesperson said: “Council road inspectors have visited the site and confirm it is well signposted with loads of barriers clearing showing that the road is closed.

“We are advising police about these concerns and the very dangerous actions of drivers.”