RESIDENTS of East Carlton are calling for urgent measures to curb speeding motorists through the village - which is being used as a rat run.

East Carlton villager Roy Dalby, who is a churchwarden at St Bartholomew's Church, has contacted Leeds City Councillor Graham Kirkland (Otley and Wharfedale) asking for a speed limit.

He feels this is a reasonable request and wonders if the village would in fact qualify for a 20mph in view of the blind bend in the village centre.

"This village has large numbers of vehicles, often at speeds greater than acceptable for the conditions, travelling through. Between 500 and 600 vehicles during a morning peak period for a village of 33 houses and no speed limit is excessive," he said.

"There have been several recent incidents involving cars through walls and hedges and there have been occasions when cars have finished up in fields," he said.

Coun Kirkland said he is to get in touch with Leeds City Council's highways department to see if the problem can be solved. He is also looking into improvements which could be made at the Carlton Crossroads on the main Harrogate Road.

This crossroads has been an accident blackspot for many years and Coun Kirkland is hopeful that road improvements will be made at this dangerous junction.

He said Leeds City Council were now looking for a way to solve the problem.

"To my knowledge there has been two crashes with no personal injuries that I am aware of this year but there have been four smashed cars," he said.

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