PARISH councillors hope improved road signs will reduce speeding vehicles in their village.

Lartington Parish Council is working with Durham County Council’s highways department to install warning signs for motorists to slow down on Lartington Green Lane, known locally as the Bowes road.

There are already 'reduce your speed' and 'slow' warnings on the two entrances into Lartington on the main B6277 road through the village, but concerns have been raised about the speed at which some vehicles travel on the back road as they approach the junction with the B6277.

A parish council spokesman said: “We have asked Durham County Council’s highways department to consider better signage here.

“They are considering ways to improve things.

“We have got more children living in the village than we have had for a very long time and a lot of them live near the Bowes road.

“It is principally used by local people and does not carry a huge number of vehicles.

“Candidly, it is motorists living locally who are the worst offenders and they really should know better.”

Police-led Speedwatch operations have previously focused on the main road so the council hopes future operations can concentrate on Lartington Green Lane and Battle Hill.

In June Barnard Castle and Teesdale neighbourhood police team carried out Speedwatch exercises in several Teesdale villages, including Lartington, and found 39 out of 695 vehicles checked were breaking the speed limit.

Durham County Council confirmed that improved signs would be installed but the date has yet to be confirmed.

In 2007, following a 20-year campaign by residents and the parish council, a 30mph speed limit was imposed in Lartington.