CONCERNS have been raised over the number of vehicles breaking the speed limit in Darlington.

Councillor Kevin Nicholson, ward representative for Eastbourne, has raised concerns with police over the number of traffic incidents involving speeding motorists in the town.

In an email sent to Darlington Police’s chief inspector Sue Robinson, Cllr Nicholson also criticised the force for not taking the issue seriously.

He said he had encouraged residents to report incidents on the 101 service, but claimed not a single one had been responded too by the force.

However, Durham Police said all complaints were “taken seriously”.

The issue had been intensified after a car crashed into the hallway of a home in Parkside, in Eastbourne.

Cllr Nicholson said it was a huge concern for local people, adding it was only a matter of time before someone was “fatally injured”.

“In the last year we have seen several incidents involving speeding cars, and there now seems to be a worrying trend of frequent car crashes in our area– in one incident a car ended up on it is roof.

“I am alarmed at the increased car incidents in the area, particularly the recent one on Parkside, and I believe that this issue is not been taken seriously by the police and I do not see any measures to proactively deal with the situation.

“There has also been an increase in off road motorbikes which seem to go unchallenged and present a danger to member of the public due to the speed.”

Cllr Nicholson also said he offered to buy a portable speed monitoring sign but this was refused on “health and safety” grounds.

Darlington Borough Council confirmed only areas with Parish Councils can use speed monitoring signs as they hold public liability insurance for those using the equipment.

Sergeant Catherine Iley of Durham Police said: "If we receive information which suggests who is responsible for illegally riding off-road, we will take action and in fact we have seized several bikes in the past few months.

"If there is evidence of a location being a collision ‘hotspot’ that is passed onto our traffic management experts for them to assess. They can then liaise with other bodies, such as the local council to see what steps can be taken to address the issue."