A SPEED hump, designed to curb drivers’ pace has turned a street into a ‘death-trap’, it has been claimed.

Sean Pennington, of Grey Street, Burnley, said the removal of a chicane in Brougham Street and Folds Street in the town has caused drivers to speed.

The chicane was introduced by Burnley Council, which was in charge of highways at the time, to slow down traffic, more than 25 years ago.

A campaign was launched earlier this year to remove it after it was believed the junction caused people to argue about who had priority on the road.

Mr Pennington, 24, said he was concerned about the attitudes people have with the street, which leads onto Daneshouse Road.

He said: “The road has become a death trap. We get cars speeding down there all the time and it is worrying for everyone.

“The big cars just bounce over the speed bump without any concern.

“The chicane made people slow down.

“I have walked down there at night and seen cars race by. It has become a race track.”

A Lancashire county council spokesman said around £55,000 from the priority neighbourhoods fund was spent on installing the speed bump.

Mr Pennington said: “I would like to see a better solution put there to stop cars speeding.

“Speed cameras would be ideal. I appreciate the county council has limited funds but surely something needs to be done.

“The road needs to be looked at to find a way of keeping traffic calm.”

Harvey Danson, area highways lead for the county council, said: “The traffic calming on Brougham Street is in place to slow traffic in response to a record of injury collisions and also helps to ensure the lives of people who live in this area are not blighted by speeding drivers. The scheme to replace one set of the chicanes with a flat-topped junction table and install a road hump at the entrance to Brougham Street was carried out in response to a longstanding problem with conflict arising between drivers about who had right of way when negotiating the chicanes.

“We have been monitoring the impact of this change, and listened to feedback.

“Work is planned in early November to reconstruct the road hump and table junction with steeper gradients which are designed to ensure that all vehicles must slow down to negotiate them.”