Worried parents and residents claim motorists have a ‘blatant disregard’ for the speed limit along their street and fear one day a child will be killed as a result.

Fed-up residents on Victoria Grove, Bridport, have come together to try and tackle speeding along their street, saying their children and loved-ones are ‘at risk of injury or death’ from drivers who constantly flout the 20mph speed restriction.

They have set up a group – Slow Down on Victoria Grove – and hope to put pressure on Bridport Town Council and work with police to address the issue.

The street is close to two primary schools and a secondary school, yet campaigners say motorists regularly speed along the road.

Victoria Grove resident Amy Gibbs set up the campaign group and has the backing of many neighbours and volunteers.

Ms Gibbs said: “When I went on maternity leave I realised just how busy this street can be. A petition was set up in 2015 and nothing was ever done so I thought I’d follow up on it. I got the ball rolling and we’ve had meetings with Daryl Chambers and PCSO Bishop, who has been instrumental. A speed indicator device is due imminently and we now have lots of volunteers ready to start a community speed watch. Heavers of Bridport has sponsored the kit for us, which would have cost us about £400.

“We’re doing this with a lot of support, including the council’s. We’re all working together because this is not people going a little bit over the speed limit, it’s huge amounts. It’s only a matter of time before there is an accident.”

Slow Down on Victoria Grove is already making progress; plans are in place for a community speed watch and a speed indicator device has been agreed and ordered by the town council. The group hopes to push for other traffic calming measures, such as speed humps, but its main objective is to raise awareness of the issue - which residents say has been rumbling on for more than 20 years.

Resident and campaigner Katherine Locke said: “We’re absolutely sick to death of people racing up and down as though this is a main road - it’s tiny and narrow. A lot of Colfox children walk down that way and there are lots of mums with buggies heading to and from St Catherine’s with not enough room on the pavement.

"People park thoughtlessly and there is no disabled access. Cars block the road and people abuse the free parking. Two cats have been mown down in cold blood and the drivers didn’t even stop. One day it will be a child.

“The impact is huge on our quality of life. It makes my blood boil when I see drivers putting their foot down with a blatant disregard for the speed limit. We hope to raise public awareness so that people keep to the speed limit.”

A spokesman for the town council said they have been in regular contact with residents.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said the force aims to ‘use resources in the most effective way possible to enforce speed limits across the county.’

They added: “We would always encourage motorists to respect speed limits and not put other road users and members of the public at risk by driving at excessive speeds.

“We are also grateful to the support of Community Speed Watch groups in many areas, which sees local residents in areas where there are particular concerns supported by local officers to highlight speeding concerns, reduce road casualties and improve community safety.”

Residents can support police by reporting vehicle details of repeat or excessive speeders to dorsetroadsafe@dorset.pnn.police.uk.”