FALLING IN LOVE WITH A ROAD

THE A272 between Heathfield and Winchester is a top drive '“ according to motorists.

But in parts of East Sussex residents have labelled it dangerous.

Earlier this month a petition was handed to East Sussex County Council after a woman was flung into a flowerbed in a hit-and-run accident at Piltdown.

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Protesters said it was a dangerous road with cars driving as fast as they wanted because there was no speed limit and no double white lines to stop people overtaking.

Fans of the A272 said in the Dunlop Tyres survey they could 'drive at ease through light traffic, unfettered by other motorists with sweeping bends guiding them as they cruised along the recently resurfaced road.'

Dunlop communications manager, James Bailey, who headed the inspection team, said: 'We came up with our top British roads but it seems not everyone agreed with us.

'We have had loads of nominations for favourite drives online at www.driversknow.co.uk and the A272 came up again and again.

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'We thought the road deserved some praise of its own and have added it to our own list of great British roads.'

This is in stark contrast to a comment made by the clerk to Fletching Parish Council, which covers Piltdown, Peter Wigan, who said: 'It's always been a dangerous road. It's a very straight stretch of road and there's no speed limit and they can go as fast as they like.

'There is a lot of traffic and a lot of possibilities for accidents and we do get a lot of accidents and have done for quite a while.'

pThe A272 seems to hold a strange fascination '“ a few years ago a Dutchman wrote a book all about the road - A272: An Ode to a Road by Pieter Boogaart.