Council officers are trying to find out why speed humps in Burley-in-Wharfedale are so narrow they are "worse than useless."

Local people say the humps on Moor Lane are too small to stop traffic speeding and now an investigation is underway to find out who is to blame.

The traffic calming measure was put in place after the development of the former Scalebor Park Hospital for housing but it is failing to have the desired effect on traffic, according to Coun Matt Palmer, who represents Burley on Bradford Council.

Coun Palmer has been calling for the bumps to be replaced for almost two years and he raised the issue with Bradford Council's principal traffic engineer Phil Sawley at a meeting of Burley's forum last week.

Coun Palmer told the meeting the "pathetic" bumps were actually dangerous because pedestrians expected traffic to slow down and had to jump out of the way of speeding traffic.

Mr Sawley agreed that the humps were narrower than the normal required width and he said the matter was under investigation.

After the meeting, Coun Palmer said: "The speed bumps on Moor Lane as you drive between Burley and Burley Woodhead are completely ineffective.

"The council has admitted that they do not meet the normal standards, but they are still there several years after the development at Scalebor Park was completed.

"Whilst this may be the developer's fault, it still needs to be sorted out.

"The bumps are too narrow to slow down most cars but just high enough to damage smaller vehicles.

"Because of the bumps, many pedestrians expect drivers to be going slowly and have to run out of the way when drivers hurtle round the corner at up to 50 miles per hour. This actually makes the road more dangerous not less.

"This was one of the first issues I raised when I was elected two years ago. It was even in my election leaflet

"However, the latest update is that the matter is 'under investigation' by officers.

"This is not good enough. Burley people deserve a resolution to this, to stop traffic

speeding down off the moor towards the dangerous junction between Moor Lane and Station Road."

He stressed: "Whilst bumps are better than nothing, I do not believe they are the best solution for this stretch of road.

"I would prefer to see one of the new speed signs that lights up if you are going too fast.

"Most people want to drive safely but often do not realise how fast they are going when they come down from the moor and straight onto a busy junction with lots of children and pedestrians.

"This would be an ideal place to pilot these new signs which tell you to slow down if you are going too fast but do not take your photo or get you fined.

"If people are aware how fast they are going, I do believe they will slow down as most drivers are aware of the rail station and the school bus queue just past the railway bridge."