YORK'S rogue roadblock has claimed yet more victims, with five drivers now believed to have crashed into it in less than two weeks.

The rising bollard in Stonebow, designed to keep private cars out of the city centre, has wrecked the fronts of three vehicles in the last 24 hours.

But City of York Council hit back, attacking the "deplorable" actions of drivers who had crashed into the bollard.

Jim Kilroy, who is not from York, had been working on a refurbishment scheme at the city's Marks & Spencer store, in Parliament Street, and, unable to turn his vehicle around in the busy road outside the store, headed down Stonebow and U-turned on the roundabout where the bollard lurks.

As a bus passed over the sunken bollard, he unwittingly followed on, only to feel his vehicle grind to a halt as it crunched into the metal post.

A string of signs warn drivers travelling into the city centre along Stonebow about the bollard, but there are none in the direction in which Mr Kilroy was heading.

He said: "As a driver you have got enough going on, looking out for pedestrians and other vehicles and if you are following a bus through, you would think it's a safe route.

"I think the warnings should be better or they should use a more visible deterrent like a car park-style barrier."

Gill Richards, the most recent victim of the rising bollard, was also a visitor to the area, being from North Wales.

She slightly injured her chest after the bump caused her to be thrown into the steering wheel, but fortunately her elderly parents, both in their 80s and also in the car, were uninjured.

"I'm a complete stranger here. It's absolutely appalling that it could completely wreck the car," said Mrs Richards.

However, City of York Council said it had received a "fantastic response" to the bollard from the police, other emergency services, bus operators and pedestrians.

Peter Evely, head of highways regulation with the council, said: "Drivers might be concerned about the damage the bollard could do to their cars, but I shudder to think about the consequences for a mother with a pram crossing the road if a car does eventually shoot through the control at speed."