More than 100 upset residents raised concerns about bad driving in Long Sutton – despite the public meeting clashing with England’s World Cup match with Uruguay.
Speeding – sometimes up to 80mph – and youngsters performing “doughnuts” and wheelspins were among the issues raised at the meeting also attended by parish councillors, South Holland district councillors, Lincolnshire County Council portfolio holder for Highways Richard Davies, and police.
The last straw that prompted residents to join forces to call the meeting was when a young driver believed to be travelling at around 70mph crashed into a wall in London Road, demolishing the wall and ripping the wheel from his car.
They approached parish council chairman Jack Tyrrell and between them went door to door collecting more than 660 signatures on a petition calling for something to be done.
Coun Tyrrell said: “It is obvious how bad the problem has become by the amount of people who came along to the meeting despite the football being on.
“People are thoroughly sick and fed up of it.
“There is the nuisance of the young drivers who are doing wheelspins and driving backwards in the centre of town and then the speeding, which is particularly bad on London Road and Roman Bank.
“We have all been young and done that kind of thing but it is close too houses – it wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t so blatantly in people’s faces.”
The villagers at the meeting were able to put their concerns to Coun Davies, who has promised to look at the possibility of interactive 30mph speed signs at strategic locations, and Sgt Gareth Boxall, of Lincolnshire Police.
In a statement released after the meeting, he said: “I was grateful for the opportunity to discuss these issues openly with the community of Long Sutton and it is clear that there are problems surrounding speeding and other traffic offences that need addressing in Long Sutton.
“I tried to be honest with those present about how Lincolnshire Police can enforce traffic offences. “Officers do have to patrol and respond to emergencies across all the towns and villages in the Holbeach and Suttons area.
“It is clear, though, that officers are needed in Long Sutton to tackle these issues and they will do this when they can.
“We do rely heavily on members of the public reporting these problems to us. I would ask that any vehicle related anti-social behaviour is reported to us via 101 but please be mindful that we really need to know at least the registration number of the vehicle.
“I look forward to working with Lincolnshire County Council, Long Sutton Parish Council and those who arranged the meeting, to reduce the traffic related problems that Long Sutton has been suffering.”
