WORRIED residents have demanded action to stop speeding drivers tearing along their busy street “before someone is killed.”

People living in Broadmead Road, Woodford Green, say they are fed up with reckless motorists regularly breaking the street’s 30mph limit, and last week 70 of them signed a petition calling for new safety measures.

They want the council to install signs displaying the limit, but the authority says it cannot legally do so.

But residents have also called for flashing illuminating speed signs, or even speed cameras.

Resident Susan Lazarus said dozens of parked cars on the streets have been damaged after being crashed into.

She said: “Only last month someone crashed into my son’s car which was parked outside our house. It ended up in our neighbour’s driveway. If anyone had been walking past at the time they would have been killed.

“People are using our road as a race track, it’s made us all really frightened just to park outside our homes.

“I’m can’t believe I’m saying this but even a speed camera might help.

“It’s only a matter of time before someone is killed.”

Campaigners say their problems began back in August 2007 when the council began fining residents for parking on the pavement, forcing them to park in the road.

Woodford Cllr Ian Bond said the issue was reflective of broader safety issues in Redbridge.

He said: “Speeding is a problem in lots of roads in the borough but unfortunately there’s no magic solution that will remove them, but things can be done to make the roads safer.”

“With temporary measures we can do things quite quickly, whereas permanent schemes take quite some time and there are difficulties with the budget.

“It’s a major route so it would not be realistic to expect speed humps, but we could install more bollards and bring the pavement out to encourage people to slow down.”

A council spokeswoman said: "30mph repeater signs are not permitted under current regulations and as Broadmead Road is a strategic route for the emergency services, traffic calming measures like road humps are not allowed.

"The (area two) committee noted the petition and a list of options available will be considered. In the meantime the police will be asked to undertake some enforcement which will hopefully dissuade motorists from breaking the speed limit."