A pensioner has called for urgent repairs to a subway under a busy dual carriageway, claiming it is a “horrible place to walk through”.

Sonia Dreisin, 84, has lived in Hendon for more than 50 years and said the state of the subway that runs beneath Watford Way at the junction with Greyhound Hill is “sickening”.

She claims that during rainy weather, the subway becomes almost impassable due to flooding, forcing her to walk across the busy dual carriageway.

Sonia added that she had raised the problem with Barnet Council and was told her concerns would be passed on to Transport for London (TfL), which should maintain the underpass.

The Hendon resident said: “I have tried to have something done about it, but nothing has been done. I think it is sickening, it’s horrible.

“When it rains, something is flooding it so I have to stretch across the central bit so that I can get across the dirty water.

“It’s dilapidated and parts of it are crumbling. And, of course, with every big lorry that comes past that is going to get worse and then in the end we won’t have a viable subway at all.”

Sonia has to use the subway at least three times a week to access public transport, and worries for her safety crossing Watford Way when it is impassable.

She said that the situation was dangerous, especially for someone like herself “who could fall over right in the middle of the road”.

Sonia added that authorities needed to urgently improve the upkeep of the subway, claiming that “thousands” of pedestrians rely on it to walk around the area.

Barnet Council confirmed that TfL is responsible for maintaining Watford Way and the subway that runs beneath it. 

A TfL spokesperson said: “Safety is our top priority, and we will be making improvements to the subway imminently, including installing new lights, repairing any damaged walls and monitoring the drainage system, to mitigate against any future flooding."