Drivers using a residential street as a rat-run to skip traffic jams are putting children's lives at risk, it was claimed today.

Residents of Owlet Road in Shipley are calling on Bradford Council to introduce traffic calming measures after a spate of near misses involving young children.

They claim the road is being used by motorists who are trying to avoid congestion on Canal Road and in Shipley town centre.

Mum Angela Dunn, 39, who has two children, said residents wanted to see road humps or signs warning drivers to slow down.

She said her own son narrowly avoided being hit by a speeding car this week after stepping-out into the road.

"It is really bad and sometimes they are doing about 70 miles per hour," she said.

"If kids are crossing the road then they really don't stand a chance. It is bad at every time of the day, and sometimes until the early hours of the morning. There are a lot of children living round here - there must be one living in every house. It seems that nothing will be done until there is an accident and someone is killed, but that really shouldn't be the case."

Neighbour Donna Crompton, 31, said she too was desperate to see something done to slow the cars down.

"Everyone cuts through the street to get to the bottom of Carr Lane, and it is getting worse," she said.

"There are children in nearly all the houses here, and we can't wait until there's an accident to do something about it."

The residents are drawing up a plan of action for their campaign, and are set to launch a petition.

Councillor Phil Thornton (Labour, Shipley East) has written to the residents of Owlet Road asking them to back the campaign.

And he said he is consulting with traffic engineers at Bradford Council in a bid to set up a traffic survey for the road.

"The residents there are sick of aggressive driving," he said.

"It concerns me that we always have to wait for a serious accident to prompt action. The traffic volumes and speeds, in my opinion, meet the criteria for traffic calming measures.

"Because of the congestion around Shipley, people are looking for alternative rat-run routes, and they tend to use excessive speeds."

He said the Council had recently approved a school crossing patrol for part of the road.

He said: "If the road is bad enough to need a crossing patrol, then it surely justifies other measures. I am right behind the residents in what they are trying to achieve."

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: "A ward councillor has recently raised the issue of traffic safety on Owlet Road with our Traffic Unit, which is currently looking into the issue."

He said anyone with safety concerns about Owlet Road should send their comments to the Traffic Unit, 1, City Road, Bradford, BD8 8ER.