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'Stuff of nightmares': Creepy child-shaped traffic posts terrify village residents

The structures, erected in 2020 to alert drivers that it's a school area, have creeped out locals ever since

LEICESTER, ENGLAND: The Daily Mail reported that bollards - vertical posts intended to alert and prevent drivers from entering an area - have been made to look like school children along the roadside of the sleepy English village of Stoney Stanton. Creeped-out locals have described it as 'the stuff of nightmares'. They were installed back in 2020 with the express aim to remind drivers to take care on the roads. Though the bollards are over two years old at this point, they went viral just last week after a man shared a video of the doll-like figures on social media. 

Andrew Cooper, who lives near Leicester, came across the bollards last week. He soon took to Twitter to share the video of what he discovered as he drove through the quiet town. His post read, "Because no one ever believes me when I tell them that one of our neighbouring villages has made their bollards look like Midwich Cuckoo style children, I have recorded the ghastly proof on video. (It is worse at night)" The dolls are paid for by the Stoney Stanton Parish Council and the local school but have not been going down well with everyone. 

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One user commented on the video, "The lengths to which schools and councils have to go to protect pupils from their own parents dangerous parking and driving. It really is quite something." Another said, "Anything that will make drivers pay attention is fine by me." Supporting the practice, one user said, "Bearing in mind local authorities don’t spend money like this lightly, you have to assume it’s been done because drivers break the speed limit and there’s been more than one ‘incident’ involving a car and a child. If it saves lives and makes people slow down, it’s a good idea."

However, not everyone agreed. Someone noted, "As someone who works in local government I can assure you that local authorities spend money like this lightly. Whether that's the case here I don't know, but I wouldn't be *surprised* if this had been implemented with no science, reason, or rhyme behind it whatsoever." 

One user asked Andrew if there was a school nearby. He replied, "Who knows? Whenever I go through I’m too mesmerised by the creepy bollards to notice anything else." 

A user shared a similar picture in the thread saying, "Outside a school near mine. I first saw them at about 1am. Never hit the breaks so hard so I guess intended purpose."