Residents living in the historic Saltaire World Heritage site want to see their streets transformed into a belt of residential bliss - and drive out the rat-runners who use it as a short cut.

Families living in Caroline Street say they are worried their children may be injured by large volumes of traffic if they play outside their homes because of cars cutting through the village to avoid the heavily-congested Saltaire roundabout.

A petition, started by a 78-year-old resident of Caroline Street following a near miss on its junction with Albert Road, started the ball rolling on calls for traffic calming measures and has so far gathered nearly 500 names.

Other residents have also joined forces with the Saltaire Village Society, environmental group Sustainable Saltaire and Shipley MP Philip Davies to find the best solution to the traffic chaos and reclaim the streets for villagers.

One idea which has been floated is to create a so-called Home Zone - traffic calming measures and lower speed limits.

The residents are now planning to carry out a feasibility study to find out whether such a plan would work.

Mr Davies has also requested a meeting with representatives of English Heritage to find out how traffic calming measures can be put in without ruining the historic nature of the area.

Bradford University lecturer Liz Sharp, 40, of Caroline Street, is one of the villagers organising the feasibility study. She said: "I really like living in Saltaire but sometimes the traffic just dominates. I think the traffic and the car parking problems mean it makes it more difficult to build a community because you can't use the streets in the same way.

"I don't know what the answer is in Saltaire but maybe Home Zones would be something to explore."

Her neighbour, 46-year-old Frances Cleaver, is a member of Sustainable Saltaire. She said: "We used to play out on the street with scooters and roller skates even when we were small but my kids who are six and three can't do that because of the cars there going so fast.

"We don't want to make it into a quiet cul-de-sac but the Home Zone idea is about creating a respectful attitude between the residents and the motorists, so we can all enjoy the buzz of Saltaire."

The Saltaire Village Society is also backing the calls for improvements to stop traffic.

Spokesman Eddie Lawler said: "Residents have been researching other Home Zones. We have been told that it will certainly be very expensive but we are looking at that under the aegis of the village society to find out how to slow traffic down."