RESIDENTS have condemned a traffic scheme they say is making their street dangerous for elderly people.

The system was introduced to a residential area of Northallerton late last year when work started on a £21m development at the town's Friarage Hospital.

The hospital's visitor car parks now have to be accessed by driving down Priory Close and Byland Avenue.

As a separate measure, a permit scheme was introduced to stop people working at the hospital from parking on Byland Avenue.

Residents have been given free permits and waiting is limited to an hour, with no return within two hours.

But some people say the permit scheme is not working and the increase in traffic is dangerous for elderly people living in the area.

Kathryn Hutchinson, whose mother lives in Byland Avenue, said: "The permit scheme is not working at all. There are cars down here now that have been parked here all day and all night.

"From 6am, the traffic is ongoing - there are wagons and cars coming and going.

"Before all this started, you could sit out in the garden at the front, it was absolutely beautiful.

"Now it is just like a death trap for the elderly. Some people won't even come out of their houses anymore."

Another resident counted 327 cars passing her house between 7am and 9.30am one morning last week.

Friarage Hospital manager John Gibb said: "Staff have been briefed about not parking in Byland Avenue, which is a residential permit holders area, and we are very sorry for the inconvenience this is causing for people living there.

"We are working closely with the local authority, which polices the parking there, and will draw this matter to their attention.

"We will also remind staff about being considerate to residents by parking appropriately."

Eddy Hayward, area traffic manager for North Yorkshire County Council, said: "We are concerned about these issues and we will do our best to try and improve the situation.

"We can put some counters down to see whether there are serious speeding issues. It would also give useful information to see what the volume of traffic is using that road.