AN accident in which a bus shelter was demolished has fuelled residents' fears about the speed of traffic.

More than 80 people have already signed a petition calling for measures, including a speed camera, to put the brake on cars and lorries going past their homes, on Blackburn Road, Great Harwood.

Keith Edmundson, who lives in Blackburn Road, expressed renewed concern following the weekend accident, when a car crashed into a bus shelter near the Lidgett pub.

The driver and passenger were both taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Mr Edmundson said: " It's a good job there wasn't anyone standing there. The police got the council to remove the shelter, it was that bad."

Residents also want white lines to be moved after a spate of incidents in which wing mirrors have been knocked off parked cars.

They are also concerned about the effect the vibration of traffic on the uneven road surface is having on their homes. When the petition is completed, they plan to send copies to Hyndburn Council, MP Greg Pope and the Department of the Environment and Transport.

The accident, which happened during rain on Sunday, involved a car travelling towards Rishton from Great Harwood town centre.

Police said as the car began to go round a right-hand bend, near the Lidgett pub, it went out of control and collided with the shelter on the left-hand side.

Inspector Bob Ford, of Great Harwood police, said inquiries into the accident and whether speed was a factor were continuing.

He added: "We are concerned about the speed of some vehicles using Blackburn Road and will be looking to tackle that."

Inspector Ford said the use of hand-held speed detectors and other targeting measures were being considered.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.