THE seaside resort of Scarborough is renowned for its beautiful gardens, theatre connections and spa pavilion.

Today, it will also be known for having the worst rat-run in Britain.

The practice of rat-running, where motorists use back-street roads to avoid jams on major routes, is reaching "plague proportions".

A survey by the green groups Transport 2000 and Sustrans, in conjunction with The Big Issue magazine, has found that drivers using Wykeham Street, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, are the worst culprits in the country.

Julia Samson, Streets for People co-ordinator at Transport 2000 and organiser of the survey, said: ''Rat-running is dangerous and totally disrespectful of the people who live in the area.

"Residential roads are intended for local journeys only, and were not designed for hundreds of cars an hour.

"They should be places where neighbours can meet and talk and children can play after school, not racetracks for people in a hurry.''

Wykeham Street consists of terraced housing with few front gardens and narrow pavements. There are two schools on the road and it is a popular place for families to live.

Many parents do not let their children use Wykeham Street or neighbouring streets for playing or walking alone because of the danger from traffic.

Resident and father-of-two Chris Jones, who has spearheaded a campaign to stop people using Wykeham Street as a rat-run, said: ''Why do we have to put up with fumes and noise and the speed at which these vehicles travel?"

He has organised a petition that has shown massive support from residents for action to deal with the problems.

Numerous residents in Wykeham Street have put up posters in their windows asking motorists to travel no faster than 20mph.

Bruce Bedford, from Scarborough Borough Council, said: "We are aware that there has been concern in Wykeham Street for some time about the problem of rat-running traffic.

"We are in discussions with the county council about what can be done, and will be liaising with residents in the near future about taking forward an area-wide traffic calming scheme for Wykeham and neighbouring streets."

The second-worst rat-run was Dukes Avenue, in London, where traffic can reach 1,000 vehicles an hour.