UK villagers slam 'dangerous' tourists as they beg council to close popular spot
Villagers have grown sick of TikTokers flooding in to film themselves and an unusual bit of road infrastructure.
Tired of social media influencers making viral videos in their town, folks living in Rufford in Nottinghamshire are asking that the famous ford there is closed. Whenever the road floods, they say hordes of videomakers flock there to bask in the sodden lane, some speeding their vehicles through the pooled water at pace.
Many videos have been posting online showing drivers trying to brave Rufford Ford, which gets as deep as 6ft after a big rain shower. In 2022, the 40m-long (131ft) ford had to shut down because of worries about safety, and now there's talk of keeping it closed for good.
Even though closing it means a two-mile longer trip for residents, the locals say they're desperate to see it shut down before a tragic accident happens. But not everyone is on board - social media users who love posting their daring clips want the ancient aquatic street to stay open.
One local, who asked to be known as Mrs Fox due to concerns of reprisals from irked YouTubers, said: "We desperately want the road closed. It is only a matter of time before some is killed. There have been so many near misses over the years with idiots risking their lives for clicks. The only way to stop a certain tragedy is to close the road permanently."
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Despite the area being blocked off with concrete bollards temporarily, people living in the town say that hasn't stopped some determined drivers. Mrs Fox continued: "Before Christmas a tractor came along and shunted the bollards away and cross the ford as someone filmed them. Whenever it has been raining you know the whole area will be full of people with mobile phones and people speeding through the ford."
Another local explained how they nearly saw a driver get stuck in their car after racing through the deep water. He said: "The ford is just too popular with the wrong kind of people. They think that the more outrageous the video the more hits they get and more hits means more money."
The future of the ford will be determined later this year (No credit)"A year or so ago I saw one moron hurtling through the ford in a car with predictable results. He got stuck half-way across and couldn't get out. He was panicking but his mate who was filming just carried on pointing his phone at him. They all think it's a great laugh and good way to make money but they have no idea just how dangerous the ford is."
One biker was badly hurt recently when they were thrown off their vehicle while motoring through the water.
Other people living in the village, home to only 536 people, find it hard to get to their houses because of all the visitors. One said: "It was not unusual to see both sides of the narrow roads chock-a-block with cars and motorbikes. I have asked people where they have come from to see the ford and some say they have come from miles and miles away."
Nottinghamshire County Council is currently running a consultation until March 5 ahead of a decision on the future of the road. If it goes ahead, the route will be closed to traffic but access will be allowed for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
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