With Epsom’s MP asking people in Ashtead for their views on its problematic railway crossing Epsom Guardian reporter, Alice Foster, visited the village on Monday to find out what residents think.

Dawn Thwaites, who often visits her friend on the far side of the railway line, said: "It’s a nightmare. It’s quite frightening at my age."

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MP Chris Grayling stands at the level crossing in Ashtead

She said she was worried about the emergency services facing delays on their way to help people in urgent need.

She said: "If you have a heart attack or something, they can’t quickly get you there. Your house could burn down by the time they come."

Margaret Card, from the greengrocers, agreed that an alternative to the unreliable crossing needs to be found.

Mrs Card said: "Half the time people can’t get across because it keeps playing up. You end up with traffic all the way up to the roundabout.

"When the barrier comes down people can get a bit silly with it."

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Sue Tutte with Margaret Card at Card's Greengrocers in Ashtead

Rita Patel, from the newsagents, said something should be done and suggested an underpass or a bridge.

She said: "Lots of times it isn’t working. Mostly I’m worried about ambulances and the fire brigade. There’s a lot of elderly people."

Sue Tutte said: "The amount of times it’s blocked up. You see the traffic up here and it’s a real pain."

Oriana Pontone, from the florists Stems, said: "It’s a nightmare to get over to do deliveries. We always have to allow extra time.

"There’s a lot of elderly people who live there and if there is a real emergency it’s hard to get emergency services over. They need to sort it. I don’t know what the alternative would be."

Ismail Simsek, from Ashtead Cafe, said: "Everyone really complains about the crossing. They say they have to wait for ages. It gets stuck all the time.

"It needs something there because it takes quite long each time and it’s always getting stuck."

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Ismail Simsek at his workplace Ashtead Cafe

Allison Burrell, from Allison's Bakery, said an underpass was unlikely to happen and it would be a push to get permission to build a bridge.

She said: "They need to do something because if it breaks you have got parents who need to get to work and people get stuck. They need to find out why it keeps breaking."