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Fatality fears over cars speeding through village

Jim ScottIn Easington
BBC Councillor Jason Ramshaw, who is wearing a blue polo top and blue jeans with brown shoes, crouches down next to a large yellow road sign which has fallen down. The road sign, which is on top of grass near to the side of a road, shows the speed limit is 30mph and reads underneath, Easington Village. In the background is Sunderland Road, where residents say drivers exceed the limit.BBC
Councillor Jason Ramshaw says a speed limit signs has been left lying at the roadside for months

A council is being urged to crack down on motorists who race through a village, at more than double to 30mph limit before "someone gets killed".

Residents have said there are a lack of signs, safety measures or deterrents on the roads leading into and through Easington Village in County Durham.

The BBC found a 30mph sign at an entry point to the village had fallen down, which locals claimed had been left lying at the roadside since January.

Durham County Council said it would "consider" a request for further safety measures to be implemented based on national guidelines and regulations.

Easington Village Parish Council has started a petition calling for signage and a range of physical measures to slow down traffic to be installed throughout the village.

Frank Harrop, who lives near Sunderland Road and is wearing a light grey top, is standing in his front garden where there are three planters hanging on the low walls and which have purple and red coloured flowers in them. In the background there is a single carriageway road heading into the village where he says drivers ignore the speed limit.
Frank Harrop lives near a section of road which drops to 30mph from 60mph

"It's terrible, it's absolutely terrible," said Frank Harrop, who for 43 years has lived off Sunderland Road which leads into the village.

"They come down all night, flying down here, some of them 60 and 70mph in a 30 zone."

He said the county council was not taking the issue seriously as evidenced by the 30mph road sign being left abandoned for months.

"You get on about the speed... but nobody is interested, they won't be until someone gets killed."

Susan Croft, who is wearing a blue cardigan and a blue and white striped top, is crouched down on a grassy area and is holding a black lead for her sandy coloured dog, Coco. In the background is a a white planter with daisies and a wooden fence which is marking the boundary of residential properties.
Susan Croft says she is fearful of her and her dog Coco being hit by a speeding driver

Villager Susan Croft said it was common to see drivers speeding along Hall Walks.

She said: "It's over 60mph, especially on an evening when it's just a straight run and the cars come speeding down."

Parish councillor Jason Ramshaw said the campaign for safety measures was vital to "get the council to look at the sensible side of this".

"We just need some common sense," he said.

Hall Walks, one of the main roads through the village, with a number of parked vehicles partially on the pavement either side. There is a concrete bridge carrying the A19 over the road in the distance and a road sign directing traffic right to join the A19.
Campaigners say the problem can be worse when the A19 is closed and traffic diverted

Reform UK-led Durham County Council said there was "clear national legislation" from the Department for Transport which it must apply.

Kieron Moralee, its traffic management section manager, said it includes looking at "recorded speeds, police data, site layout and available budget".

He said that once the deadline for the petition has passed, the council will "carefully consider the request in line with these processes".

The authority said it had authorised works to be carried out to repair the fallen road sign.

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