Speeding motorists and badly parked cars were controversial topics among residents and councillors at last week’s Steeton-with-Eastburn Parish Council meeting.

Villager Mike Harris attended to request flashing “smiley face” speed signs in Keighley Road, near Aireburn Avenue, where the 30mph speed limit has been ex-tended.

He said speeding vehicles on the road, which used to be a 60mph zone, had resulted in several near crashes, one including him.

He said: “The problem I have found is that drivers leaving the traffic lights and the school, trav-elling out towards Keighley, do not see the 30mph sign and they go at 40-50mph.

“I think the way forward here is to consider, instead of a speed camera, a smiley face, so that when you go through at 30mph it smiles at you.

“This brings out the best in people, I certainly believe that.

“And if you go over 30mph it frowns at you, which is wonder-ful. “I am putting this forward so you can consider it, or perhaps offer support for it — perhaps a series of smiley faces will put Steeton on the map as the ‘smiley face village,.”

But later, Craven Ward council-lor Andrew Mallinson said that under the law, one sign indicating the speed was sufficient.

He said: “I am not prepared to support any additional signs on that road.

“Those smiley face signs cost around £3,000. Why should we spend more and more taxpayers’ money putting more signs up?”

Chairman of the council, Cllr David Mullen, said the best option was for the police to do more speed checks in the area.

He said: “One of the problems is that until last year that road was 60mph and I think people still think that applies.”

Cllr Mallinson added: “For ten years I have lived there and there must have been about ten acci-dents. If people drove at 30mph, there would not be a problem.”