FAMILIES on a newly-built housing estate are urging builders to complete a road, worried it could cause a serious accident.

Residents from all 22 houses on West Park, in Shildon, have signed a petition, calling for urgent action from developer Durham Homes.

They are sending copies of the petition to Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman and highways officers at Durham County Council, who say the authority cannot adopt the road until it is completed.

Residents say they were promised a smooth top surface would be laid on top of the rough service road once building was finished and heavy construction vehicles did not need daily access.

But they are still waiting, almost a year after the last house was completed. Exposed manhole covers, high curbs and lose rubble have been blamed for damage to vehicles and children's cycling accidents.

Resident Alan Boddy said: "Every other month we get in touch with Durham Homes and hear it will be done soon, but it isn't.

"It needs sorting out before a bad accident, or winter, when things will only get worse."

Most of the homes are occupied by young families, who say their children have fallen from their bicycles because they cannot avoid bumps and harsh edges in the street.

Many owners have faced costly garage bills to repair ripped tyres, cracked springs and other car damage.

The estate has gained such a poor reputation for the condition of its road that some taxi firms ask to meet passengers at the entrance rather than drive in.

And some families believe friends and relatives avoid visitng, because of the risk to their vehicles.

Resident Paul Evans said: "Cars can be fixed, as expensive as that is getting.

"The safety of the kids is the most important thing to us all, it's a bad job when children cannot safely play outside their own homes.

"We've been promised the road will be resurfaced time after time. They are false promises and enough is enough.

"Durham Homes has a responsibility to the people who bought their houses to fix this as soon as possible."

David Edwards, a director of Durham Homes, said work had taken longer than anticipated due to a wrangle with a contractor over utilities, but denied it had been as long as 12 months.

Further delays were caused by the original surfacing contractors moving off site. New contractors have now been appointed.

Mr Edwards said: "There will be somebody there on site, so they will definitely see some action."