SEVERAL spooky visitors have been spotted working at the new Binhamy roundabout in Bude.

Skeletons at Christmas seems a little unusual, but people in Bude were able to catch a glimpse of the blow-up, plastic skeletons dotted around the working site at Hillhead.

Whoever decided to pull the practical joke at the new Binhamy roundabout dressed the skeletons in luminous green jackets, and placed them in various locations at the site, to create the illusion that they were doing CORMAC’s work for them.

Ria Thompson, who lives on Coast View Road, close to where the work is taking place, thought the prank was highly amusing. She took photos of the skeletons and posted them on the local Facebook group, ‘Bude Banter’.

The work has been ‘affecting’ local people when trying to travel into the town, or to get to work and school.

Ria said: “We are having to leave at least five to ten minutes early to go anywhere, just to get out of the driveway. The traffic lights have gone down for Christmas, but we have had traffic lights all the way through.”

Although they did not comment on the skeletons and where they have gone since being pulled down in the new year, a spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “The current roundabout construction works followed a lengthy period of extensive utility diversion works. These works were an essential part of the overall project and included the movement or protection of significant fibre-optic telecommunications equipment, in addition to gas, water and electrical plant.”

Although construction began on October 24, 2016, work is yet to be completed. The spokesperson continued: “Whilst every endeavour is being made to restrict the use of temporary traffic lights, there are times when three-way traffic lights have to be in place for 24 hours a day for length periods, in order to protect workers from traffic and members of the public from any exposed or incomplete works.

“The council recognises that this will cause delays to the travelling public, but it is necessary in order to enable completion of this major junction improvement. Endeavours to reduce the travel delays for certain key periods or when other highway work is required in the area, have meant that the works will take slightly longer.It is expected that the scheme will be completed in spring, 2017.”