THE swollen ford that claimed the life of Judge Eric Dickinson is still being recommended as a shortcut by in-car satellite navigation systems.

Judge Dickinson, aged 68, was returning from Evesham County Court when he took the ill-fated decision to cut through Walcot Lane, which runs through Bow Brook from near Pershore Station to Drakes Broughton.

While there was no indication that the judge was using a satellite navigation system, local people fear that motorists relying on the devices could be lured to a similar fate.

John Wright, of Newlands, Pershore, was amazed to discover that the route was still being suggested by his navigator on Tuesday this week.

"I would have thought something could be done to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said, after the route was given as the quickest way from Stoulton, near Worcester, to an address in Pershore.

He said that on his device the ford was not even marked.

Dorothy Sturgess, who lives on Walcot Lane, said she had narrowly averted a similar situation when being driven from London to her Drakes Broughton by someone using a sat-nav. "When we got to Pershore Station it told him to turn down to the ford.

"It was in the middle of the night in December and I realised it could be dangerous, so I told him to follow the main roads instead." Annette Taylor, of Drakes Broughton, said she often encountered the problem on her daily walk along Walcot Lane to her work at Somerfield supermarket on Racecourse Road.

"Once I even got into a man's car to direct him myself. "

Sally Everest, of Worcestershire County Council's integrated transport section, said: "We know there are many problems with sat-navs and we are working to sort them out."

Alec Mackie, spokesman for the county's fire service, said an investigation had revealed a potential hazard for all Worcestershire drivers. This is a concern, particularly at a time of flooding," he said. Police spokesman Richard Bull said: "We would always urge drivers to treat information from these devices with caution, and always pay attention to signage and take into account local weather conditions and potential hazards."

The RAC's Liz Kennett said: "We use sat-navs ourselves.

"They are a very good way of locating broken down vehicles and save us lots of time.

"You have got to use them with a combination of other information though, as well as using your own common sense."

An inquest in Stourport on Tuesday recorded a verdict of accidental death after last week's tragedy.