PART of a long-awaited zebra crossing had to be dug up days after it was finished – because the lights hadn’t been switched on.

Belisha beacons had been installed as part of a £185,000 highways programme, which included traffic calming, road resurfacing and new pavements, on Huddersfield Road in Meltham.

But CE Electric, the company responsible for ensuring the lights were working, had not connected them.

Holme Valley North councillor Terry Lyons said: “Everything had been nicely done – the road had been beautifully surfaced and it was looking great and they have had to come back and dig it all up.

“The electrics should have been put in beforehand. In these tough financial times, where is the joined-up thinking?

“It had been finished less than a week – it’s scandalous.”

The installation of the crossing and safety railings had already been repeatedly delayed.

They were originally due to be in place last April as part of a traffic calming scheme in the village.

But the work was put back, and was postponed again in September so that it could tie in with the resurfacing work.