ANGRY drivers were left frustrated at long delays caused by new lights installed at a busy roundabout.

Hundreds of people faced delays at the Rising Bridge roundabout yesterday morning, which were also contributed to after a car went into the back of a taxi.

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Traffic was queued back from the A56 roundabout leading down the road to the Tesco superstore in Haslingden after the lights were turned on for the first time on Friday.

Highways England, which is responsible for the work, said there was a fault which has since been fixed.

The lights were installed in a bid to boost safety around the accident blackspot.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones, who has been campaigning on getting the roundabout safe and operational, said: “Since the problems first occurred at the Rising Bridge roundabout I have worked hard to sort them out. Safety is the first thing with the traffic lights.

“Clearly they need to be working in a manner that helps the flow of traffic.”

The new traffic measures are part of a multi-million pound upgrade to improve road links.

The minor collision yesterday was between a Volkswagen Touran and a second vehicle near Rising Bridge.

A driver said: “The traffic has never been this bad before in the morning.

“The traffic flow needs to be right in the morning because of the sheer number of vehicles that use that road and any problems can cause very long delays.”

A Highways England spokesman said: “There was a fault on one of the crossings on the northbound carriageway that was holding everyone up and that has been resolved.”