Residents and homeowners living on a ‘bottle neck’ road are calling for the speed limit to be reduced to tackle speeding drivers, with one even moving out of the town.

Those living in North Street, Beaminster, and those who walk along it on a regular basis, want the 20mph speed limit through the town centre to be extended down the road in a bid to stop inappropriate speeding.

Michael King, who owns a home along the street, called on the town council to help and councillors agreed to pay to install strips to monitor speed in North Street last year.

But the data recorded was not significant enough for Dorset Council to extend the 20mph speed limit.

Mr King said that Dorset Highways would not support the request for the extension ‘with no significant collision history and a lack of available funds’.

He is now asking if they have to wait until someone is killed before something is done.

“We have seen many near misses in our time ere and we, like many neighbours and local residents, fear for our lives. We need action before someone is killed,” he said. “The town already has a 20mph limit, but it ends at the factory gates. We are just asking them to move it 200 or 300 metres up the road.”

One resident, who didn’t want to be named, said: “It’s quite scary just coming out of my door, it goes straight onto the road, so I have to be weary all the time about the traffic that’s coming down and the speed its going.

“It also concerns me that there is no footpath. I really hope there will never be an accident, but I sometimes wonder if it’s going to take an accident before something is down.

“I am moving next year and it’s because of the traffic.”

Another resident, Derek Hills, walks along North Street three or four times a day.

He said: “I wear a high-vis jacket and even with that on I don’t feel safe - it’s deadly.”

Kate Willis, who lives on North Street, said: “Hogshill Street has a much wider pavement on both sides of the street and a mini roundabout they’re coming into the town and that is still a 20mph. Why then can’t they apply the same logic to our road, which is actually much more dangerous, I don’t understand.”

White bollards and white lines were installed on one section of the street to restrict parking, which residents say only encourages drivers to speed up to get through before another vehicle comes the other way.

Mr King added: “This has only exacerbated the situation on this problematic hazardous stretch of highway. By reducing the number of parked vehicles this now enables irresponsible drivers to go even faster as speed reducing obstacles have been removed.

“If the funding had not been squandered on the white lines and bollards, it should easily have covered the cost of re-siting the two 20mph signs.”

Michael Potter, road safety team leader at Dorset Council, said: “We’re aware of the concerns around North Street and have discussed these with representatives from the local community.

“It’s important to remember that whether any of us are passengers, drivers, pedestrians or cyclists - we all have a role to play in keeping ourselves, and each other, safe.

“We will continue to monitor the situation.”

Beaminster Town Council has been contacted for a comment.