ANGRY residents living in a Pershore road used as a rat run have called for action to be taken to stop drivers speeding down the access only route.

The group of people from Whitcroft Road in Pershore say the road has been designated as an access only route for many years yet motorists carry on driving down it to get in and out of town.

And signs warning of the restriction are only clear to drivers when they enter the road and not before they make the turn.

Charles Boulton said he wants something to be done to stop people using the road as a rat run.

"I timed it and there was a car a minute going down the road," he said. "We need better signage. It's a miracle there has never been an accident there, the speed they come down is 50 or 60 mph."

Phoebe Taylor said: "My concern is the amount of traffic we have down the road, but most of all the speed. This road is full of elderly people but traffic is not to know if there could also be children."

Wendy and Arthur Allan have lived in the road for 10 years.

They said: "My concern is the amount of traffic using the road as a rat run. The noise obviously has an impact on us, when you live down a quiet road like this you don't expect traffic like a high street.

"I would like to see is either it made one way or they block off one end."

The residents are now worried that with new housing developments approved and being proposed near Station Road and Wyre Road that the congestion will only get worse.

There was also concern amongst the group that people working locally were using the road to park on during the day to avoid paying charges in car parks.

David Middleton added: "The biggest offenders are not individual people it's the people who work nearby or in the town."

Wychavon District Councillor David Brotheridge said: "I'm afraid inappropriate use of local roads by motorists will continue until a solution can be found to the daily congestion at the station road, high street junction on traffic lights. I would like to see a review of the highways signage."

The call for action came after the Journal reported that 1,293 were slapped with a speeding ticket within 90 hours in two spots in Defford Road and Three Springs Road.

PC John Hunter said at the time if anyone was concerned about speeding they should contact him by calling 0300 333 3000.