Two senior councillors have condemned Lancashire County Council for failing to tackle speeding on a main road in a township before a serious or fatal accident.

Cllrs Peter Britcliffe and Zak Khan are demanding action to reduce the speed of vehicles on the A679 Blackburn Road in Oswaldtwistle's West End.

Both have written to county council highways boss Cllr Rupert Swarbrick after his officials rejected their pleas for new safety measures, including average speed cameras.

Hyndburn Council's economic development boss and St Oswald's ward's Cllr Khan wrote to county hall expressing his concerns at the speed of cars and vans in Blackburn Road.

A highways department officer replied: "Having previously assessed Blackburn Road, we prioritised the instalment of temporary signage to help remind drivers to think about their speed during the period of July to September 2021.

"We then re-erected the signs during the period of January to March 2022. Blackburn Road is also a current mobile enforcement site.

"At this time, we do not intend to implement any further measures."

Now Cllr Khan has written to Cllr Swarbrick saying: "Living off Blackburn Road, I totally support the residents' concerns that a serious accident is waiting to happen.

"I could probably collect sufficient evidence from every house in West End to write a book on the accidents, near misses and emotional distress the speeding is now causing people.

"It has been going on for too many years without any tangible difference.

"I think without average speed cameras, the situation will continue to pose a significant hazard.

"I hope someone isn't lethally injured before something else is done."

Cllr Britcliffe, also county councillor for Oswaldtwistle, said: "I am very, very angry and bitterly disappointed.

"This road is dangerous and for years a campaign has been going on to slow traffic on this treacherous highway.

"Yet little notice has been taken.

"As sure as night turns to day there will be a serious, potentially fatal, accident."

Cllr Swarbrick said: "We have investigated vehicle speeds and collisions on Blackburn Road and found the majority of drivers are travelling at a reasonable speed, with no pattern of collisions which would suggest there is an issue in a particular location which could be addressed with physical safety measures.

"The police are responsible for speed enforcement, and do carry out mobile enforcement at several sites along Blackburn Road.

"We have also periodically installed temporary signs to remind drivers to think about their speed over the past two years."