FED up residents have demanded urgent action to stop speeding drivers using their street as a 'race track.'

People living in Overton Drive, Wanstead, have campaigned for decades to get extra traffic calming measures introduced in their road to prevent motorists tearing along it at dangerous speeds.

The street is used as a cut-through between Blake Hall Road and the High Street with many drivers racing around a blind bend in the middle at up to twice the 30mph limit.

Police caught 20 speeding drivers when they deployed a mobile 'radar gun' in the road last month - but residents say it will take more than that to stop motorists breaking the law.

Margaret Brown, 36, who has lived in Overton Drive since childhood, said she fears for her safety every time she takes her dogs for a walk.

She said: "We had a car plough into our fence one day after apparently racing with another car along the road.

"You have schoolchildren walking along here who don't pay much attention to what is going on around them and you worry about their safety.

"There is a width restriction at the end of the road near to St Mary's but they just speed up on their way to here.

"It would be good to have more of those put in elsewhere in the street."

Neighbour, Jane York, was also in favour of more width restrictions being installed.

She said: "It would be good to have more of the width restrictions where you have to give way to on-coming traffic.

"I've seen them in Dagenham and they do seem to slow traffic down a bit.

"Either that or they could close off the road at certain times of the day to stop people using it as a rat run."

Father-of-three Harish Chauhan said putting up speed limit signs would be a good starting point for the council.

He added: "It's about time something was done. People drive along this road at ridiculous speeds."

A Redbridge Police spokeswoman said: "Wanstead Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT) are listening to the concerns of residents in Overton Drive over issues around speeding drivers.

"We are taking steps to improve this situation and to help make living in Overton Drive more pleasant for its residents.

"Wanstead SNT have liaised with Redbridge Council to discuss providing further traffic calming measures in Overton Drive, these are ongoing."

Redbridge Council has yet to comment.