BLIND and partially-sighted people are calling for the council to reinstate a pedestrian crossing in the city which has been out of action for five months.

The pelican crossing in Winchester Street may be taken away by Wiltshire Council because it only received three complaints on it not working.

But people who rely on the light-controlled crossing say losing it would be a "major concern" and that they had not realised they needed to complain for it to be repaired.

Debbie Furnell from the Salisbury branch of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, said: "It's a big issue.

"Three Swans Surgery is around the corner and the crossing is a major one for the people who use that surgery.

"I have got a guide dog myself and I struggle to cross. I didn't know it had closed and we were waiting there for ages before someone walking past said it was no longer working.

"That's the route system my dog was trained to use to go to the doctor's. A lot of us find the same thing."

Angela Emerson, from Downton, said she was concerned due to the difficulties in being able to judge when it was safe to cross.

She said: "I can hear well so I try to listen to any silence but that's very difficult in the middle of Salisbury.

"I walk with a guide dog and have limited sight.

"The crossing in Blue Boar Row does not help pedestrians wanting to get higher up Winchester Street."

Justin Wright, from Salisbury, who is deaf and registered blind, and uses a guide dog, said: "It is vital that the crossing be reinstated. That road gets very busy, and traffic is often fast moving. I could not cross safely without the crossing."

The crossing has not been working since May 27 because of faults with the traffic signal equipment.

Wiltshire Council says the observations over that time indicate the "overwhelming majority" of pedestrians are crossing there "without issue".

It wants to remove the crossing to save money and reduce its carbon footprint, saying it would improve the visual amenity of the area, and adds that it does not believe it would be "overly detrimental" to pedestrian safety because of the gaps in traffic flow created by the traffic signals outside the pizza restaurant in Blue Boar Row and traffic turning left into Endless Street.

Salisbury City Council is against its removal asking for it to be repaired as soon as possible.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said if the council decides to remove the crossing it would first undertake a consultation.