WORRIED parents are calling on Darlington Borough Council to clamp down on speeding traffic.

People in the Lascelles Park area are fed-up with cars and motorcycles racing through the streets and putting youngsters at risk. They say that some drivers go over grassland to avoid bollards installed to cut off "rat run" shortcuts through the area.

Mother Beverley Wray, of Moulton Way, said: "Many children play outside their homes because parents don't feel safe letting them go on to the park land alone.

"But they are worried about the number of vehicles that drive along these roads and across the grass with no regard for the people who live here."

"Many of the children play on the stretches of grass alongside the roads outside the homes because there is nothing else for them to do."

Tyre marks are clearly visible on grassy areas where cars and motorbikes have gone off the road.

A £40,000 play park was being installed in the area between Lascelles Park and Eastbourne Park last May, but the council had to remove the equipment after it was vandalised.

Christopher Noble, also of Moulton Way, has launched a petition demanding action by the borough council to tackle the problem.

Parent Joanne Atkinson has already added her signature after her three-year-old son, Aaron, was nearly knocked down by a car.

She said: "Vehicles travel so fast around the estate and drivers can't see whether a child is near the road because of the number of cars parked.

"For the safety of the children and all the residents, there should be ramps to slow down the drivers."

A spokesperson for Darlington Borough Council said: "There are about 40 to 50 sites across the Borough where residents have requested safety measures. The petition will be dealt with seriously, but residents should appreciate that safety measures are complex and because our budget is limited we must prioritise."