Campaigners descended on an endangered St Margarets footbridge, after Transport for London's (TfL) consultation to remove it was branded a "sham".

TfL plans include removing the bridge, which stands over the A316 Chertsey Road near St Margarets roundabout, and the installation a new toucan crossing instead.

It claimed the new system would improve road use for cyclists, but campaigners, including parents at nearby St Stephen's Primary, reacted furiously.

Newly-elected St Margarets councillor Alexander Ehmann described the consultation as a "sham".

He said: "It offers no explanation of the rationale for the bridge's destruction.

"It offers no options beyond the replacement of the bridge with a surface crossing and it doesn't offer even the simplest information on the usage and capacity impacts of the proposal regarding pedestrian safety and the free-flow of traffic on the A316.

"The primary focus of any change to the road crossing arrangements on the A316 should be pedestrian safety and thereafter the free passage of road traffic."

He said he and fellow St Margarets councillors had written to Lord True and Mayor of London Boris Johnson requesting the current consultation be withdrawn.

The footbridge is a Bailey bridge, a type of portable structure designed by Donald Bailey, during World War II.

The consultation runs until July 4 and said a toucan crossing would make life easier for cyclists using the main road.

On its website, TfL said: "To make full use of the new toucan crossing, we propose to remove the cycle lane markings from the footway and create shared pedestrian/cycle space.

"This would allow cyclists that use the new toucan crossing facility to continue along the footway either side of the crossing without having to dismount.

"The toucan crossing would improve accessibility for everyone - all roads on this roundabout would then have accessible crossing points."

London Assembly member Caroline Pigeon has requested a meeting with TfL to discuss the proposals.