CAMPAIGNERS are appealing to motorists to cut their speed on a dangerous road between Stanbury and Oxenhope amid fears of a possible tragedy.

Mark Holmes, of Moor Side Lane, said some drivers are endangering people’s lives by racing along the route.

Speaking at last Wednesday’s Oxenhope Parish Council meeting, he said: “It’s a 60mph limit on the road, which is ridiculous.

“We’d like someone to investigate this, because a 60mph limit there is simply wrong.”

Mr Holmes, 47, who works as a health and safety inspector, said: “It’s a country road but there is a half-mile stretch that is quite straight and drivers really put their foot down.

“They don’t seem to take into account the fact there are a number of junctions on the road, as well as horse riders and pedestrians. You’d be surprised by how many people walk up this road or ride horses along it. There will be a fatality soon if something isn’t done.

“We’ve been overtaken by other cars while in the middle of the road indicating to turn right.

“Our dog was run over two years ago by a speeding driver, and we know of one female horse rider who had a car go past so fast that horse reared up and threw her off, injuring her.”

Responding during the meeting, Worth Valley Police Community Support Officer Tracy Metcalfe suggested Moor Side Lane would be a good location for a Speed Watch initiative.

Mr Holmes said if this was carried out, it would need to be done between the hours of 6.30am and 8.30am or 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

Worth Valley Ward councillor, Rebecca Poulsen, said she would raise the issue with Bradford Council’s highways officers.

Speaking after the meeting, parish council vice-chairman, Coun Tony Maw, said he and his colleagues periodically receive complaints about speeding on roads within Oxenhope, which they then pass onto the police.

He added this was not the first time someone had raised the issue in Moor Side Lane.

“It has cropped up quite a while back from someone who lives up there,” he said. “We did bring it up with the police and they carried out a speed check.

“At the time, they found cars were within the speed limit. There seemed to be very little the police could actually do.”

Coun Maw added a small minority of motorists use the roads through Oxenhope as a late night or early morning “race track” when driving between Keighley and Hebden Bridge.