The shared space traffic scheme in Ashford has become the butt of jokes on satirical TV quiz Have I Got News for You.

An article about Kent County Council's controversial DVD explaining how to use the new system was included in the BBC show's 'missing words' round at the weekend.

Guest presenter Jack Dee explained that this was a scheme “in which pedestrians can step in front of moving vehicles.”

The comedian Frank Skinner asked: “Is it overpopulated, Ashford?”

His team-mate, the political journalist Quentin Letts, remarked: “Not any more.”

Dee, quoting a newspaper clipping, explained: “Apparently for pedestrians the key for stepping into moving traffic is to 'establish eye contact with the driver’... and attempt to maintain it as you roll right across his bonnet.”

Meanwhile, a driving instructor has praised the scheme but says road chiefs have not gone far enough.

Graham Hooper, director of 1st 4 Driving Instruction thinks the scheme should have more closely mirrored the pioneering designs in the Netherlands, where pavements and crossings are removed completely.

The traffic light crossing in Elwick Road was not in the original design of the scheme but added later.

Mr Hooper said: “The problem with having a defined road and pavement area is that car drivers see the road as a road and the pavement as a pavement.

“If we took the kerbs away and it was fully paved it would be hard to differentiate between the road and the pedestrian area, and that should make us drive more carefully through that area.”

The instructor thinks drivers should learn to share the space. He said: “We probably need to be re-educated and learn to drive with care, courtesy and consideration for all other road users and not with the concept that we are the kings of the road and own the road.

“Maybe the problem is that we don’t like change, but change could be for the better.”

Hear our audio tour of the shared space scheme >>>