A TEESDALE village is to do away with its anti-speeding rumble strips, following complaints from residents.

The six strips were put along Main Road at Gainford more than ten years ago in a bid to slow traffic passing through the village on the busy A67 connecting Darlington and Barnard Castle. They have been maintained by the county council highways department, but following complaints from residents of The Paddocks, one of the village's new estates branching off Main Road, the parish council has decided to seek alternative and more effective forms of traffic control.

Monday's meeting heard that the strips had deteriorated since last year's repairs and some of the setts were loose.

Residents had complained that the problem was exacerbated by heavy wagons which, when empty, were very noisy when bumping over the strips, sometimes as early as 6am.

"The county council will be happy to remove them, as they are costly to repair and maintain, and will provide alternative methods of traffic control," said the clerk, Sybil Nelson.

Coun Newman Smith said he would rather have markings on the road surface than a "proliferation of street signs". Mrs Nelson said the highways department would be happy to paint new road markings on the Main Road surface, including red 30mph signs and "shark's teeth" diamonds such as at neighbouring High Coniscliffe.

Members had noticed the recent appearance of those and felt they would be much more effective than the rumble strips.

Mrs Nelson said any decision to remove the strips needed to be taken as a matter of urgency, as she had reported their deterioration to the county council.

Members agreed to ask for their removal and Mrs Nelson was instructed to contact the highways department for further details of the options available.

Earlier in the evening, Gainford's beat officer, PC Jeremy Downing, said speed monitoring along Main Road had shown that it was not a great problem. But the chairman, Coun Wendy Withers, said it was certainly perceived to be.

Members asked if they could have use of one of the machines that flashed up the speed of motorists exceeding the limit and PC Downing said he would have a word.