RESIDENTS are calling for action over a stretch of road said to be "an accident waiting to happen".

David Kerridge, who lives in North End, Durham City, said on-street parking, combined with buses picking children up from nearby St Leonard's School, were putting lives in danger.

The introduction of parking charges at the University Hospital of North Durham and new parking meters along the A167 meant that motorists were parking in North End and the surrounding streets to avoid paying.

Mr Kerridge said: "Because of all the parking, the road effectively becomes a single lane.

"That in itself is a problem, but it is made much worse because the school buses still insist on using the road.

"They quite often mount the pavement or reverse into people's drives, and only last week one of them hit my mother-in-law's car. I have a four-year-old daughter and I'm worried about her safety. There's also the children from St Leonard's to think about."

He also said he had witnessed a 20-minute stand-off between bus drivers, arguing about who should reverse to let the other one past. "This resulted in absolute chaos with coaches reversing along the road," he said.

Mr Kerridge has written to Durham County Council, asking for action to be taken.

A spokeswoman for Durham County Council said: "We have received Mr Kerridge's letter and we are currently looking at all the issues he has raised in it."

Durham City MP Gerry Steinberg said he was aware there was a problem and offered to speak to the council on Mr Kerridge's behalf.

Durham City Coaches, which runs two coaches to St Leonard's every day, said it had not experienced any particular problems.

A spokesman for the company said: "Durham City is notorious for traffic and I think we just make the best of the conditions."

But bus operator Arriva said parking was causing difficulties and the company was in talks with the county council to resolve the situation.

The introduction of parking charges at the hospital also resulted in problems with on-street parking in Framwellgate Moor and Aykley Heads.

Earlier this month, the county council introduced waiting restrictions to prevent motorists parking in nearby residential streets