RESIDENTS living on a 'forgotten lane' in Hartford say speeding drivers are making their lives a misery.

The man leading the campaign against speed on Hodge Lane says it has become a rat run for many motorists and that drivers regularly hit 60mph, which is twice the speed limit of the road.

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Frank Beattie, who has lived in the village for the majority of his life said he had been campaigning to have the speed limit reduced to 20mph for the past five years.

He said: "There are about 100 houses or thereabouts on the lane.

"All the residents have asked me to compose letters and get signatures due to the ongoing issue with speeding.

"The footpath we have here is very very narrow and it's only on one side of the road, so can be very dangerous for pedestrians."

The 80-year-old said the matter had been rumbling on for several years and that Hodge Lane was the only road in the village leading to a school that wasn't restricted to a 20mph speed limit.

"I've tried to get both Cheshire West and Chester Council and Hartford Parish Council to do something about this," he added.

"But it's been very difficult to get any satisfactory response from either of them.

"I had a conversation with someone from Highways about the problem a while ago and was told by them that there hadn't been a fatality on the road.

"So will it take a fatality before something is done?

"As regards all the councils, it seems to be the forgotten lane in Hartford."

Northwich Guardian: Residents are not happy Hodge Lane remains a 30mph road and say it's a rat run

Residents are not happy Hodge Lane remains a 30mph road and say it's a rat run

There is a flashing 30mph speed sign on the lane, but the residents say it is located in the wrong place and doesn't deter some speedsters, who treat the lane as a rush hour rat run.

"The lane is a rat run," Mr Beattie said.

"In the morning, you can hardly get out from 8am until just before 10am.

"And it's the same in the afternoon from 2pm until gone 5pm.

"In terms of the speeding issue, it's always from the railway bridges end of the lane.

"I'm not exaggerating when I say when they come from over the bridge some of them are doing 60mph.

"We have had two accidents but nobody has been seriously hurt thankfully.

"I just don't know why most of the other streets in and around the village are 20mph roads, but Hodge Lane remains on 30mph."

Despite speed surveys being carried out on the road several years ago, Mr Beattie said they were carried out in the middle of the day when the road was quiet, so they didn't flag up any concerns.

Cheshire West and Chester Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: "I’m sorry to hear Hodge Lane residents are concerned about road safety in their area but they can submit a request for a speed limit via their local councillor or the Parish Council.

"Hodge Lane was originally included in the Council’s review of potential 20mph speed limit locations in 2016 but average speeds at that time meant it was not suitable for the scheme.

"Our Highways team is happy to undertake a further survey at Hodge Lane to investigate average speeds now, and these would be forwarded to Cheshire Police for their consideration."