CONTROVERSIAL traffic lights have been re-set after causing traffic jams when they were switched on for the first time in four months.

The lights on the busy A449 at Goldness Corner, Hartlebury, caused mayhem when they were switched on last week.

Tailbacks went back to Hoo Farm Industrial Estate, Kidderminster, last Thursday morning after the switch on.

But after Highways Agency agents amended the morning time settings the traffic flow was a lot smoother on Friday.

Agency area team leader Stuart Brook said: "The problem appeared to stem from HGVs being slow to pick up speed from stationary.

"Cars have pulled away more quickly leaving a gap in the stream of traffic which is then picked up by sensors and interpreted as the end of the queue and the signals change.

"Our agents on site intervened to clear the traffic backlog and have made amendments to the morning peak time settings to give more time to the southbound route.

"We do expect there to be a period of bedding in while the timings adjust to demand."

The Highways Agency defied local opinion by giving the go-ahead for the signals at the A449 junction with the A450 in April.

They were hurriedly switched-off after 48 hours because of the congestion they caused.

The £50,000 scheme was thought unnecessary following the creation of a bigger filter lane for traffic wishing to turn on to the A450 to Hagley.

Worcestershire County Council chairman Peter Carter, of Kidderminster, is fuming the "undemocratically elected" agency has ridden roughshod over councillors' opinions.

He said: "Why have the Highways Agency decided to do this? It is a complete fiasco.

"It should admit it has made a mistake and abandon the whole project. It has simply caused chaos.

"An alternative would be to make the road dual carriageway from Hartlebury into Hoobrook to ease congestion. These lights are not a solution."