Toad in the road: Cars banned for three weeks to allow annual migration

Drivers, beware of toad rage: Locals in one town have shut a road for three weeks to protect amphibians who wish to cross.

A 400-metre section of Church Road in Ham, south west London, is blocked to motorists until April to protect the animals on their annual migration from hibernation to breeding ponds.

Richmond Council, which issued the closure notice, said that shutting the road would also help to reduce the risk of accidents caused by drivers distracted by passing toads.

To enforce the car ban, the road is manned by a volunteer-run “toad patrol”, which polices the stretch of road.

Richmond Council started closing the street in 2010 after petitioning from locals, who worried the creatures were being killed on their annual migration from hibernation to ponds where they breed. This year the road, which runs past a nature reserve towards Richmond Park, is closed from March 7 and will be opened again on April 1.

The scheme is popular with many residents of the area, who describe the scheme as “very British”, despite some saying they have not seen any toads making use of the route.

''I think it is a good idea to protect the toads”, said Dorris Watt, 64, a retired customer services adviser from Ham. “The toads live here don't they? So it's their right of way.''

“Only in England would you close a road for toads to cross”, added Chris Cann, 67, a retired accountant from Twickenham, south west London.

''I have never seen the toads but I have seen the volunteers.”

The earnestness of the scheme, and the road signs warning drivers about the toad patrol manning the road, have become a source of fun for people in the area, who were seen taking pictures of the sign.

''I just took a photograph of the sign as it is quite funny and I am going to share it with my friends”, said IT worker Scott Harris, 47, from nearby Kingston.

'First-world problem'

Others described the scheme as “first-world problems”. “We are lucky enough to be in a first world country where we can worry about toads”, said Liz Workman, 62, from Chiswick, south west London.

Charity Froglife, which recruits volunteers for the project, says that while many routes in Britain try to aid migrating amphibians, Church Road is one of the very few that completely shuts down to traffic.