A NEIGHBOURHOOD which banded together to call for their road to be closed off have had their request refused.

Residents of Wenborough Lane in Holme Wood, Bradford, sent a 53-signature petition to Bradford Council about nuisance high-speed drivers - particularly at night - making their lives a misery.

They called for the street to be blocked off to stop cars and vans racing up and down.

But their request was turned down at a meeting of Bradford South area committee yesterday evening.

Highways officer Andrew Smith told the meeting that the number and type of vehicles using the road had been monitored, and there had not been much through traffic.

He said: "Quite a significant proportion of the traffic in Wenborough Lane will be the residents themselves."

Mr Smith added that the road itself had sharp bends and no particular straight sections.

He said: "As far as closing the road, it is not for us a feasible option."

The committee voted to go with the officers' recommendations and refuse the residents' request.

None of those who had signed the petition spoke at the committee meeting.

But speaking later yesterday evening, the resident who set up the petition said he was disappointed with the decision.

Ray Palmer, who could not get to the meeting because of ill health, said he would now be contacting his MP, Gerry Sutcliffe (Lab, Bradford South) about the Council's decision.

He said: "I will be writing to Gerry Sutcliffe about this.

"In fact, I might even go down and speak to him and explain what they have done."

Mr Palmer said the road's sharp corners did not deter speeding drivers, but that they sped around them dangerously.

And he said the Council's traffic survey had been done at the wrong time of day, and if officers had been out late at night they would have seen irresponsible drivers speeding up and down their road.

At the meeting, the councillors had also welcomed progress with another issue which the same petitioners had complained about.

The residents had asked for bollards to be installed to stop quad bikes and 4x4 cars cutting through a field between their street and Kesteven Road.

Now large stone boulders have been put down to block the way.