By ROBERT GIBSON

Last updated at 13:16, Friday, 12 February 2010

PRUDHOE residents are “dicing with death” because of speeders and motorists who park illegally.

Now they're calling on Northumbria Police and Northumberland County Council to take action before it's too late.

One woman told the town's Civic and Community Forum on Tuesday night: “I live on West Road, where there’s a school with tiny children, and nothing has been done about speeding.

“These people aren’t just doing 50mph – they’re doing 60 and 70 mph.

“My heart’s in my mouth when those children are going in and out to school.”

The difficulties, she said, were exacerbated by people parking on double yellow lines.

“It’s shocking; I hardly dare to walk out of my own door in case I get run over.

“I’ve been to police surgeries, and they ask ‘What’s your name? Where do you live?’ but nothing is ever done about it.”

Other residents highlighted South Road as a speeding hotspot, calling for traffic to be monitored with a view to introducing restrictions.

“There have been two or three children knocked down outside my house,” said one man.

“It’s a horrible thing to come out and find a child lying there.”

Another resident agreed, saying: “I’m surprised we haven’t had fatalities.

“We’re trying to encourage people to be more mobile, but children should be allowed to do that safely.”

For others, Prudhoe’s major problem was “selfish” drivers parking on pavements, at bus stops and other restricted areas.

“I don’t know what efforts are being made to enforce restrictions,” one woman said.

“And certainly, outside the town centre, no efforts are being made, because it’s the same cars, day in and day out.

“This brings the regulations into disrepute and it’s dangerous; it’s a miracle there hasn’t been an accident.

“I would ask that the double yellow lines are enforced and that there’s an occasional blitz, when every damn selfish idiot parking at a bus stop gets a ticket.”

Schools were also named as a source of congestion and parking problems, with one governor of Highfield Middle School suggesting the pavement outside the building was being “used as a car park” by parents with children at St Matthew’s Roman Catholic Primary School.

Pupils of Prudhoe High School were also parking illegally, it was claimed, causing major problems for residents of Park Lane and Moor Road.

“I’ve been to meetings about this for eight years and nothing has been done about it,” said one resident.

“I’ve been to surgeries with the police and it’s a total waste of time.

“These cars are everywhere and nothing is done to shift them.”

Other residents believed problems would increase if plans for a media centre at the school got the go-ahead, and argued that insufficient weight was being given to traffic issues in planning applications.

“We do have 17 and 18-year-old drivers at the school,” said high school headteacher Dr Iain Shaw, who was present at the meeting.

“We try our best to get as many of their cars as we can in the spaces at the school, but we can’t prevent them parking, and walking in.

“We’ve talked to the police about this and when there have been transgressions they have issued tickets.”

PC Charlie Cross, of the East Tynedale neighbourhood policing team, told the meeting police had a duty to attend incidents reported by residents.

“We take enforcement seriously,” he said.

“There are many people who have had tickets; I can’t give you the statistics but I know how many mitigation forms have been given out.

“People expect to have a ticket rescinded and they don’t – we are happy to enforce it.”

Northumberland County Council traffic design team manager Alan Bawn, likewise said alleged speeding hotspots were analysed.

carried out on all traffic signs and markings in Northumberland, which can be used to rectify any problem areas.

Parents, meanwhile, should get in touch with schools to assist with drawing up travel plans.

First published at 09:44, Friday, 12 February 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk