Meet Preston's newest social media star

The infamous concrete marker post in the middle of Fishergate, knocked down more times than a sofa in a sale, has now got its own Twitter account.

And hundreds of followers have been posting messages of support to the troubled traffic island, which goes by the slogan: “I’m not a roundabout.”

Cars have been running into @FishergateBllrd since the city’s £3.4m “shared space” scheme was unveiled almost two years ago. While there are three pairs of the marker stones to identify crossing points for pedestrians, the one directly outside Debenhams has been really getting it in the neck from dozy drivers.

Now the bollard has struck back, taking motorists to task and earning outpourings of public sympathy.

One follower, called Samantha, wrote: “It’s disgraceful the amount of people who have assaulted you recently.” Another by the name of Jordan said: “Your biog should be ‘I get knocked down and I get up again, you’re never going to keep me down.’”

Lynn Brown wrote: “Today just a bollard, but keep going. One day you could even be a pokestop. Follow that dream.”

@FishergateBllrd posted various photos of its collisions with cars. There have even been pictures of the bollard wearing a hi-viz jacket, a giant cup of coffee, or a bucket, with the question: “Does my podium look big in this?”

It also tweeted: “I am that rock that loves to roll. Bring it on.” And, after the latest smash which saw the bollard temporarily removed, the latest social media sensation posted a picture of a Caribbean beach, saying: “Y’all think I’m being repaired, right?”