VILLAGERS living near a trunk road are to be consulted over their safety concerns.

More than 300 Lazenby residents signed a petition calling for traffic to be slowed down on the A174 dual carriageway near their homes.

Families living in Lazenby are worried about crossing the road to reach nearby Wilton, where the local church and graveyard are.

Campaign organiser John Bland said: "It's horrendous trying to get out of the village in a vehicle, moving from a stationary position into very fast moving traffic. It's frightening.

"If you want to cross on foot, you are stood in no-man's land in the middle of the road, exposed with no protection from the high speed traffic and it, too, is frightening.''

The 47-year-old family man said residents were not consulted before a right hand turn into the village, crossing an opposing carriageway, was closed.

He said: "We were not notified about this and the effect was to make us more isolated than ever."

Mr Bland said a former farm track leading into the village under the A174 was pressed into service as a one way road but high hedges made it difficult to see and there was no pavement for pedestrians.

The immediate change which villagers want to see is the speed limit of the 70mph A174 reduced to 50mph.

Councillor Eric Empson, cabinet member for the infrastructure with Redcar and Cleveland Council, wants to talk to villagers and council officers about the concerns

Eston Councillor Ann Higgins said: "Residents are finding it increasingly impossible to cross the road from Lazenby. The way forward is for everyone to work together."