VILLAGERS are calling for a curb on speeds, plus traffic reduction measures, on a main road dividing a village.

Community groups in Coxhoe, near Durham, have urged Durham County Council to take action to make crossing the busy B6291 easier for villagers.

The road links the A1(M) junction at nearby Bowburn, with the A177 between Durham and Sedgefield.

But as the village has expanded, with several new housing estates built on the north side of the road, commuter traffic has increased.

Coxhoe Community Partnership and Coxhoe Together, set up following a village appraisal, have gathered a 688-name petition calling for pedestrian safety improvements.

But, so far, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears in the county council's highways department.

The petition follows a meeting with a senior officer from the department's traffic section.

Coxhoe Community Partnership secretary, Barbara Hepplewhite, said the traffic problems were highlighted as a priority in the village appraisal.

She said: "Long queues of traffic tail back from the motorway junction and it is worst at peak times in the morning and late afternoon.

"All the county council seems to be bothered about is keeping the traffic flowing.

"The traffic lights near the crossroads don't have delays for pedestrians.

"We have a situation where people from new estates on the other side of the road have difficulty crossing to get to where most shops and services are situated.

"Children need to cross to get to the leisure facilities at the sports centre.

"We want the county council to agree to improvements, like chicanes, or something similar, to slow traffic.

"The parish council is willing to contribute, but we need permission from the highways department."

A county council spokeswoman said: "A full analysis of the accident records of the area shows that any intervention is not warranted at this stage."

But she said a survey was to be carried out to assess the impact of changes to traffic light timings in the village.

The spokeswoman added that it was possible any change may only add to the traffic tailbacks.