The driver of the delivery van pictured mounting a pavement in Ipswich to avoid planters has apologised to his employers for his "illegal and dangerous" manoeuvre.

The DHL van was pictured swerving around the planters just days after they were installed in early April in an attempt to limit traffic using the the residential Jovian Way as a rat-run.

A spokeswoman for DHL said that the driver of the van pictured by a local resident was one of their most experienced employees - and someone who had always been seen as a very safe operator.

She said: "He told his manager about this as soon as he returned to the depot - before anyone had been aware that a photograph had been taken and before it was published.

"He was very sorry, knew immediately he had made a mistake and gave an undertaking that nothing like this would ever happen again."

She said the driver's manager had spoken to him about the incident, but the driver himself was so sorry about the incident that the company was confident there would be no repeat.

She added: "DHL is trusted by millions of people for their deliveries and we are very keen to retain that reputation. We are sure this was a one-off and the driver is back at work."

The planters were installed after local residents became concerned about the number of cars using the newly-built Jovian Way residential road as a rat run between Europa Way and Bramford Road.

Suffolk County Council said that a survey they did in the area showed that 77% of local residents were in favour of closing it as a through road in a bid to stop the rat-running.

The council has strengthened the planters since the picture was taken - and a spokeswoman said they were concerned about "illegal and dangerous" driving that had been seen as people tried to get around them.

The planters were installed just days before the new Aldi Supermarket opened in Europa Way - there had been fears that that could generate even more traffic along the narrow road if there had not been any action taken.