RESIDENTS and councillors have called for action over speeding drivers using a main road as a race track late at night.

Drivers are reportedly hurtling along at over 100mph along Bradford Road between the Pudsey ring road junction and Thornbury in Bradford.

They are using Lamborghini and Ferrari supercars to race along the six-lane highway.

Locals fear someone will be injured or killed if one of them should crash at high speed.

One resident told the Telegraph & Argus: "Residents of Thornbury regularly are awoken in the early hours to the sound of what resembles a professional race track.

"This has become a weekly problem ever since the roundabout was removed as a traffic improvement measure the other year, but this basically created what is a one-mile drag-strip starting near the B&Q in Thornbury all the way down to the ring road, where they then speed up the other side, over and over again in the night.

"Supercars against bikes, against 500bhp Range Rovers. We are talking about Ferraris, Lamborghinis doing what must be 120mph. We know these cars hit 60mph in less than four seconds, so when you can hear them set off flat out for what seems ages, you can tell how fast they are going.

"Many of us suspect these are hired supercars being hired for the weekend for things like weddings, but are being abused in the early hours but who knows?

"It's only a matter of time that one of these is going to lose control and hit a house or kill some innocent road-user.

"It's getting more and more of a problem, and it's obvious other modified cars are pitted against these supercars. The sound at 2am can be so crazy you would wonder why the police have not done more to stop this.

"People in Thornbury are sick of it, revving of supercars day after day, high-speed racing and just day-to-day driving that is dangerous. I doubt whoever hires out supercars out realises the sort of racing that goes on.

"Someone in authority needs to get a grip of this."

Leeds city councillor Andrew Carter (Con, Calverley and Farsley) said he was aware of the speeding problem late at night and was trying to get action taken.

He said: "We have been complaining continuously ever since they took the roundabout out. It is being used as race track. It's extremely fortunate there hasn't been a fatality."

He said a space in the central reservation for a speed camera was not used often enough and was not in the right place.

"There needs to be another camera between Dawson's Corner and Thornbury barracks.

"It's completely unacceptable. I've been overtaken by them. They seem to have no regard for pedestrian safety or that of other road-users. What we require is speed cameras permanently in position. That will stop it immediately.

"I visited one constituent last summer. With the bedroom windows open you could hear them tearing up Bradford Road at 10 to 11pm. I dread to think what will happen."

Councillor Peter Carlill (Lab, Calverley and Farsley) said he had contacted the Neighbourhood Policing Team about the issue and was awaiting a response.

He said: "There have always been discussions about speeding on that road. I have also raised other issues about the opening up of the Thornbury junction and people making illegal turns from side streets."

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said he could not comment about late-night racing on the road unless specific incidents were identified.

Leeds City Council was also invited to comment.