SPEEDS of up to 59mph have been recorded in a busy residential street containing a hospice and a primary school.

The council monitored driver speeds in Park Lee Road, Blackburn, after complaints from residents.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Neil Parker, 49, contacted the council after becoming increasingly worried about dangerous speeds being reached in the road.

He said: "They go up and down at about 60mph.

"I have been on to the council and they monitored it but when I spoke to them again they said it may take a year or a year and a half before they do something about it.

"I do not think that is acceptable. We just do not get any help.

"They have said they might put signs up, but it took me four months to get someone out with a radar gun to see what speeds people were going at."

Park Lee Road is limited to 20mph and is home to East Lancashire Hospice and Longshaw Junior School.

Mr Parker added: "There are a lot of people who are elderly who live around here and they struggle to cross the road.

"The big worry is that someone comes down at speed and hits someone in the road."

In an email to Mr Parker, Capita traffic engineer Bryn Buck said: "The fastest recorded vehicle speed was 59mph heading up the hill, with the fastest in the opposite direction being 54mph.

"This fits in with our understanding of driver psychology that they will usually put more acceleration up hills rather than down them.

"On a more positive note, the average speed of traffic is 25mph, which is what we would expect.

"As you rightly say, these speeds are unacceptable."

Potential 'quick fixes' including 20mph repeater signs, a request for police enforcement and moving the vehicle activated speed warning sign from Laxey Road to Park Lee Road to target the uphill direction.

Mr Buck added: "Longer term options may include physical calming features if funding is available."