A roundabout which cost nearly £1 million to revamp is crumbling under the weight of vehicles – and residents fear someone will be killed.

Those living near the new design at the Seven Dials roundabout in Brighton, which was finished just before Christmas last year, said paving slabs were cracking and disintegrating.

Brighton and Hove City Council, which forked out £950,000 for the redesign, will carry out repairs after Christmas but Dawn Barnett, Tory councillor for Hangleton and Knoll thinks that will be too little too late.

She said: “Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see that it would be too big with all the lorries that come through there with deliveries to Wickes, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. 

"I can’t ever remember there being any accidents there, so I don’t understand why it needed to be changed in the first place. It’s far too big for the area and it needs to go back to the size it was.”

A council spokesman said: “We are aware of the problem with loose paving slabs at the Seven Dials roundabout and will carry out repairs after Christmas.

“The scheme is still in the guaranteed maintenance period with the contractor.

“The design is able to cope with all vehicle sizes if they are travelling at the right speed.”

The council consulted with Brighton and Hove Buses during the design.

Mike Best, commercial director at the bus company, said: “The Seven Dials was constructed with an inner and outer section so that long vehicles such as buses and lorries would be able to pass over the outer section if necessary.

“We are finding that the new design is working well and the replacement of pedestrian traffic lights with zebra crossings is helping traffic flow."

Bob Potter, 82, who lives in Addison Road, said the junction was an accident waiting to happen.

He added: “Someone will get killed on the pavement.

“I’ve seen a lorry come down and turn around and in order to do so, the trailer had to mount the pavement. Not even the most skilled driver in the world would’ve been able to stay on the road.

“There was no consultation and we were just fed propaganda on how Seven Dials was an accident hot spot.

“It doesn’t matter which party would have been in charge, it would have happened just the same. I will have been at this house 50 years next year, and it’s just been one long battle after the other with the council.”