The celebrated concrete cornerstone, which even has its own Twitter account, could have claimed its last victim at Preston’s most troublesome crossroads.

Highways bosses have revealed they have come up with a “permanent solution” to end the carnage which has seen numerous vehicles come to grief at the intersection of Fishergate, Corporation Street and Butler Street.

But officers are refusing to say whether the new measures, which will be announced soon, will signal the retirement of Fishergate Bollard and his stone road marker mates.

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Five out of the six bollards have been knocked over and not replaced.

With plastic cones currently replacing five of the six bollards following the latest in a series of motoring mishaps at the notorious junction, the future of the city’s iconic traffic landmark looks grim.

“There have been a few incidents involving vehicles hitting the bollards, which are important safety measures for these crossings,” an LCC spokesperson told the Post.

“The cones are a temporary measure to make drivers aware of the plinths, while we looked carefully at the situation.

"A permanent solution has now been developed. We have been working with a manufacturer and hope to announce something very soon.”

Fishergate Bollard shot to fame when it was sent flying by a car shortly after the opening of Preston’s controversial shared space scheme.

The six markers were cemented into place to guide pedestrians to recommended crossing points at the busy junction.