Police have vowed to clamp down on rogue motorists using a Bradford street after one officer revealed many drivers are unaware of the traffic restrictions on it.

Netherlands Avenue in Wibsey is “access only”, meaning motorists can only use it to get to houses along the road, and not as a short cut between Huddersfield Road and Halifax Road.

But at a community meeting, the area’s neighbourhood policing team were told drivers regularly flout this ban, and some speed through the road, using it as a short cut.

Twenty six people complained, asking officers to do something about it.

Inspector Alan Rhees Cooper told the residents he would increase enforcement on the road, but one of these patrols revealed many drivers seem unaware of the restrictions.

On the NPT’s Facebook page Insp Cooper said: “While I was stood on Netherlands Avenue in my high visibility jacket, numerous vehicles used this road as a short cut from Halifax Road to Huddersfield Road or vice versa, and took no notice of my presence, indicating that many do not even realise they are committing an offence.

“In fact, one person I spoke to thought that they could use the road as they wanted to access Huddersfield Road. I had to explain the law to them. They were quite surprised when I told them they were committing an offence.

“I have made this one of our local priorities, responding to the concerns of my local residents.”

But the announcement had a mixed response on the social network site. Julian Chancellor said: “Maybe the police should actually catch criminals rather than concentrate on easy targets using a road!”

But Bob Pinkney defended the police, saying: “This is a perfect example of the police getting complaints no matter what they do.

“The public report an issue, the police listen and act on it and the public still complain. The police don’t make the laws, they’re there to enforce them.”