GROWING traffic problems in a village near Darlington might be putting lives at risk, it has been warned.

Hurworth Parish Council chairman Councillor Peter Foster issued the warning after a pedestrian needed hospital treatment after an accident involving a car outside the Spa shop on the village green last month.

The man was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital with crush injuries.

Coun Foster said there was increasing concern about traffic issues and these had been heightened by the latest incident.

"A lot of children from Hurworth Primary School next to the shop linger outside the Spar. It is so easy for a car to jump the pavement there that an accident is just waiting to happen," he said.

Cars can park in a row outside the shop, near the often busy junction of Roundhill Road.

Coun Foster said: "There is a post office inside the shop which serves a wide area, so there are always people wanting to park outside."

Local people have also been campaigning to stop cars being parked outside the school.

Coun Foster believes Darlington Borough Council needs to look into traffic safety in Hurworth as soon as possible.

"I have contacted the council several times about other traffic safety measures which we need in the village, but in my experience it takes a long time before anything is done," he said.

The borough council is awaiting a police report on the latest accident and said it would look carefully at any recommendations made.

A spokesman said: "In recent years we have installed traffic calming methods in Hurworth which have been very successful in slowing down approaching traffic.

"We have also put extra road markings outside the primary school and carried out several speed checks.

"Someone from our council will be calling Coun Foster to address any concerns he may have."

The spokesman said that accident figures for the past 15 years showed there had been only five incidents in Hurworth, none relating to pedestrians.