FURIOUS residents say their Darlington street has been turned into a rat run after the re-routing of bus services.

People living in Major Street woke up on Monday to discover buses going along their road for the first time.

Inquiries revealed that Arriva had re-routed its 16a and 16b services along the street.

The change has angered residents because they say they were not consulted about the re-routing and are concerned about road safety.

Residents say there are a lot of children and pensioners living in Major Street, and they believe the added traffic congestion will lead to accidents.

One mother, who asked not to be named, said: "What has made us most angry is that the decision to re-route the services through our street was made without anyone consulting us. We already have problems parking our cars outside our homes, and this has made the situation even worse.

"The road cannot cope with the extra traffic, and we think there is an accident waiting to happen."

People living in the street have contacted Arriva and Darlington Borough Council to find out why they were not consulted, but they were told the decision was made by the Traffic Commission.

"We pay out taxes and deserve to have some say in things which affect our lives. There is also concern that the value of our properties will depreciate, because who wants to live outside a rat run?" the woman said.

Steve Burd, of Arriva North East, said: "We believe the road is perfectly suitable for the use of buses, and the changes have been made to try to improve the reliability of our 16 service."

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council confirmed that the decision was a commercial one, and that meant Arriva did not have to consult the council or residents.