ANGRY residents claim the council isn't doing enough to stop their road being used as a rat-run.

More than 180 people living at Parsonage Road, Blackburn, signed a petition asking for traffic calming measures after a series of accidents outside their homes.

But the fed-up campaigners have been told that there is very little money in the town hall's pot for traffic calming schemes and they have little chance of their bid succeeding.

Residents' spokesman Elaine Turgoose said: "The council seem to be saying that until there is a fatal accident there is no guarantee any action will be taken.

"I've been told that a points system is used to prioritise schemes based on the number of injury accidents that have happened on particular roads. Unfortunately we have been told that there is no money available, but other areas seem to get it."

The council's programme for traffic calming measures will be decided at a meeting on March 16 but Elaine has been told that Parsonage Road has little chance of being included.

She said: "Just a few months ago there was an accident up here where two fire engines, police cars and an incident support unit attended. All the money that is spent on the emergency services attending these accidents could be saved if there were traffic calming measures on this road."

Residents claim the problem stems from the road being used as a short-cut for motorists avoiding Brownhill roundabout during rush hour. Elaine said: "The police set up speed traps on the road and I spoke to one of the officers who said he was very surprised at the speed and volume of traffic using Parsonage Road."

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "A petition was taken to the highways and transportation sub-committee on January 20 where a resolution was passed for this scheme to be considered for the 2000/2001 accident reduction scheme.

"Within the report it was acknowledged that speeding was a problem along Parsonage Road. To address this problem immediately the Lancashire Constabulary was asked to carry a speed enforcement exercise out with the Blackburn with Darwen owned mobile speed camera.

"This exercise was carried out on several occasions resulting in prosecutions to speeding drivers. The police will continue to repeat this exercise until a significant reduction in speed is recorded.

"Besides the enforcement exercise, minor traffic calming measures along Parsonage Road will be considered for the 2000/2001 accident reduction programme which is currently being formulated."

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