MOTORISTS are facing a fine if they continue to take illegal short cuts along a one-way street.

Council officials have noticed an increase in the number of vehicles driving the wrong way along Errol Street on to York Road, in Hartlepool.

They have alerted police, who say they intend to monitor traffic to try to prevent the one-way system from being abused.

It is thought that some drivers have started travelling illegally along Errol Street, from Avenue Road to York Road, following the recent closure of part of nearby Lowthian Road, between York Road and Raby Road.

This small section of road was closed to traffic at its junction with York Road following objections from residents that their safety was being threatened by large numbers of vehicles using it as a short cut to and from the town's Morrisons supermarket.

Peter Nixon, a senior traffic technician with Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "Now that we have closed Lowthian Road at its junction with York Road, some motorists are apparently using Errol Street as an alternative short cut, despite it being a one-way street.

"We have informed the police of our concerns, and motorists caught flouting the one-way rules run the risk of incurring a fine."

The now-closed York Road/Lowthian Road junction is the location for a new pedestrian crossing currently being installed.