RESIDENTS have appealed for motorists to slow down through their village amid safety fears for children and the elderly.

Tunstall Road, Catterick Village, has become a rat run for speeding motorists despite the 30mph speed limit, and residents have appealed to North Yorkshire County Council to impose a temporary speed restriction of 20mph.

John Backhouse, on behalf of villagers, said: “It is evident that vehicles are being driven at excessive speed when both leaving and entering the village along Tunstall Road.

“There is no path along the street outside the homes of residents and pedestrians are particularly vulnerable whilst walking from the Oak Tree Pub to the A1 Bridge, prior to which there is a blind bend and the street is poorly lit during the hours of darkness.

“All motorists are being asked to think about other road users and particularly pedestrians.”

The residents group contacted Richmondshire District Council and North Yorkshire County Council with a written request and petition to implement a temporary speed restriction.

Mr Backhouse said: “We have been informed that a speed limit reduction could take up to a year to implement and any speed limit consultations by North Yorkshire County Council would be inconsequential as the layout of the road is due to alter as part of the A1 upgrade.”

As part of the A1 upgrade, a series of new local access roads will be created, and all speed limits will be reviewed as part of the process.

Although the group said it believed the new access road would help to reduce the speed, something still should be done to combat speeding in the meantime.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council said: “The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Richmondshire and Hambleton Community Safety Partnership, which will take place on September 30.

“Following that meeting, a speed data log will be deployed in the area to gather information about the speeds at which vehicles are travelling.

“The results gathered will be considered at a subsequent meeting of the Community Safety Partnership, after which it will respond to the request, advising of what action will be taken.”

Mr Backwood added: “Residents understand it is inevitable there will be disruption during such a large scale construction project, but it is reasonable to expect that control measures are implemented to ensure that risk to the public is kept to a minimum.”