BURNSIDE residents, fearful for the safety of their children, have launched a petition.

It calls for traffic calming measures to be introduced to slow down speeding drivers on the Skipton estate.

The road into the estate already has a 20mph limit, but homeowners say this is being ignored.

Burnside Crescent residents Julie Porter and her mother, Pamela Stones, started the petition.

Mrs Stones, who has four grandchildren living on the estate, said she would be relieved when the school holidays were over as she had been so worried about them playing out.

She explained: "It has been a nightmare. It's just so terrifying to hear cars speeding."

She said that she wanted to see speed bumps or a five miles per hour restriction.

Residents are also calling for more to be done to lure local children away from playing on the estate.

Mother-of-two Mrs Porter said she felt Burnside had been left behind when money had been spent on play areas. She told the Herald that youngsters played on the roads and pavements.

"We want something for the children to play on with their bikes and skateboards," she said.

Mrs Porter said that there had been around three incidents where children had been knocked off their bikes - fortunately without serious injury.

"A child is going to get killed. It's that bad," she warned.

Coun Paul English, who lives on Burnside Avenue, said he had contacted the police to ask them to carry out random speed checks on the estate.

The petition has now been handed into North Yorkshire County Council's highways department and will be discussed at the next Craven Area Committee on September 9.

Area traffic manager Bill Isherwood said that a traffic calming scheme had been identified as part of a programme for the whole town.

However work to improve facilities at Burnside recreation ground is the responsibility of Skipton Town Council, which owns the play area.