A RESIDENTS' group is calling for lorries to be banned from a road in Newton Aycliffe.

The Kings Drive Residents' Association is concerned about pedestrian safety in Burn Lane, and members are collecting signatures for a petition.

They say that some large lorries have to mount the kerb or central reservation when negotiating chicanes designed to slow traffic.

The campaigners, led by chairman Mel Hayes, want Durham County Council to ban lorries over seven-and-a-half tonnes in weight from the road.

Group vice-chairman Ray Fendley said: "I saw one lorry knock over a bollard just after I'd left the island with my little lad. He would have copped it if he was still there."

He said there were fears the volume of traffic would increase when the town's Tesco supermarket was built.

A county council spokesman said: "We look forward to receiving the petition and any comments.

"We will look carefully at it, but until that time we can't go into any detail about what we might be able to do."

The issue will be discussed at the next association meeting on Tuesday, March 6, at the Morrison Close Community Hall, from 7.30pm, to which all residents are invited.