MOTORISTS fed up with queuing through Darwen town centre are turning residential streets into rat-runs, according to councillors.

Streets surrounding Darwen Health Centre, including Tockholes Road, Everton Street and Vale Street are becoming increasingly busy with traffic at peak times, as the A666 becomes snarled up around Green Street.

And now calls have been made for the problem to be investigated by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Coun Eileen Entwistle said: “For people living on the west side of Darwen there is no main road alternative to the A666 like there is on the east of the town.

“Naturally, people will try and find the quickest route, so they’re going through all the residential roads which weren’t build for that purpose.

"There are a lot of bad bends and corners, and because of the terraced houses, a lot of cars parked on the street.

“It’s definitely a problem and I sympathise with the people living on them.

“Since the health centre has been built the problem’s got worse.

"Maybe traffic calming measures need to be thought about.”

Sunnyhurst Coun Dave Hollings blamed the council for ‘ignoring’ the need for more parking around the health centre and leisure centre.

He said: “People are being forced up Tockholes Road both to park and to use as a rat-run. It’s a double-whammy for residents.

“There’s a concern for an increase in accidents in terms of motorists using short cuts and with two cars trying to pass.

"It’s got a lot worse since the leisure centre opened and the solution would be more parking.”