RESIDENTS on a busy side street claim they have the worst "rat run" in Prestwich after counting 700 vehicles in the space of six hours.

Householders in Dashwood Road are now demanding action from Bury Council to curb the number of cars and vans using the road as a short cut through the village.

Resident Darrell Johnson, who is leading the campaign, said: "When I bought the house three years ago I knew it was near to busy Bury New Road and expected the odd car or two to pass by my window. I would never have predicted this number would fall into the hundreds and probably over one thousand a day."

Earlier this year Mr Johnson asked the council to undertake a traffic survey in Dashwood Road and Kingswood Road after realising his neighbours were fed up with traffic levels.

A survey was conducted in June over three two-hour observation periods and more than 700 cars were counted.

Mr Johnson said: "If we included the remaining 18 hours, I would predict that 1,000 vehicles or more use the route daily. Dashwood Road must surely win 'rat run' of the year!"

He said there is increased traffic at Prestwich Post Office due to the closure of neighbouring post offices, speeding delivery vans, cars, motorbikes, and HGVs using the road as a short cut and regular accidents.

As a result Mr Johnson said residents were unable to park outside their own houses; children were unable to play safely in the street; and elderly neighbours struggled to cross the road safely.

There is also the added noise and environmental pollution caused by the vehicles, said Mr Johnson, who raised his concerns at last week's Prestwich Area Board.

He was told the matter would be dealt with by the development strategy working group.

It was also suggested by Mr Johnson that the post office could be relocated to the centre of Prestwich, to a "more suitable location".

Coun Wilf Davison, a member of the working group, said: "We are already dealing with this issue. It is on our agenda and will be looked at in detail. As far as the post office is concerned, it is quite possible that we might not have a post office at all if closures continue. Relocation to the centre of town has been suggested before and is not beyond the boundaries of possibility that it could be part of the redevelopment of the Longfield Centre."