A ROADWORKER has revealed how angry drivers drive straight at him when he is carrying out his job.

Liam Smith is just one of many workers whose life has been put at risk due to drivers' frustration and impatience at road closures and temporary traffic lights.

Throughout his 18 months working for Headway Traffic Management, he has had to jump out of the path of people driving their cars at him intentionally on several occasions.

He is part of a crew currently working on Whittington Road who have revealed to Worcester News the abuse they suffer daily after Worcestershire Highways and Ringway bosses raised concerns for their staff's safety.

READ MORE: Worcestershire Highways and Ringway concerned for workers

Revealing some of the worst abuse he has suffered, Mr Smith said: "I got charged with a vehicle by one guy who threatened to set his dogs on me because we closed the road.

"At that point, we were tarmacking the junction he wanted to come into so I explained to him the diversion route.

"He then high-revved his vehicle and drove through my cones.

"He then got out of the car with his sheepdogs and threatened to set them on me.

"I got into my van to protect myself and he was trying to get me out of the van."

Worcester News:

He added: "It is a shock and it's quite scary at the time, but then it happens every day, so it starts to become normal.

"But it does sometimes make you feel like you don't want to come to work.

"But I developed thick skin through this job, and you got to take it on the chin."

He also explained how working at night is worse because they experience "the darker side of the public".

He is not alone, one of his colleagues only joined Headway last week and on Saturday (February 4) a man squared up to him.

To tackle the problem, Worcestershire Highways and Ringway started a campaign to encourage teams to report incidents.

READ MORE: Sadness as volunteers receive abuse from people needing emergency food

Chris Higgins, who has worked on roads around Worcester for 24 years, said: "You get abuse and people calling you allsorts with a bit of swearing mixed in.

"I just try and ignore it and say I am trying to do my job, and I try and calm them down.

"That's all you can do."

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Jon Fraser, head of Worcestershire Highways, said: "I would like to thank the Worcester News for highlighting this issue for us.

"For myself and Richard Fryer (Divisional Manager), we will continue to raise awareness of this situation because it is unacceptable.

"These are people trying to do a job, trying to get members of the public safely through a site and in any other area of work.

"It is unacceptable, and it is on the highways as well."