VULNERABLE young women could be forced to take short cuts along an isolated towpath if moves to close a road in Barnt Green go ahead, a concerned villager fears.

Gary Surman is calling for a pedestrian pathway to be made part of plans by British Waterways to close off the bottom of Bittel Farm Road.

The Government body wants to create a system to move water between two lakes lying off the road.

Work is set to start next Monday, October 30, and is expected to take around 17 weeks to complete, with Bittell Road being sealed off to cars and pedestrians.

Mr Surman said around five families, including his, live in the road, which is the main route used to get to the village, including the train station.

Mr Surman added: "I wouldn't walk along the towpath, there is no street lighting and it's frightening.

"Someone could be attacked and I certainly wouldn't let my children walk along it."

He said although drivers will face a daunting four-mile round trip, people without cars will have to walk across country, along the canal and it will be difficult for them to nip into the village.

"I have talked to waterways bosses who pointed out the canal path as an alternative route, but it is not a very safe way," he said.

"I know one young student who walks to the train station each day for college.

"I have no problem with the project -- apart from it will run over the Christmas period -- but a pedestrian path should be put in.

"There may not be many residents here but we still pay our council tax."

A waterways spokesman said: "As there are alternative routes available for pedestrians it was deemed not necessary to provide additional pedestrian access alongside the works."

She added there was no footpath in the road anyway and the towpath route had been highlighted because it was the shortest route for walkers.