A £200,000 scheme to re-route heavy vehicles is set to give relief to families living in fear.

Neighbours in Hind Heath Road, Wheelock have been campaigning for traffic calming measures for more than five years.

They've won a 40mph restriction but that has not solved the problem of speeding cars and heavy lorries.

"We've had a few near tragedies. A pony has been killed and a cat has lost a leg. It could be a child next. We feel it's just a matter of time before we have a serious injury or worse. We want more measures and we need them quickly," said spokesman Bill Brookes.

At the Elworth end, Hind Heath Road is little more than a country lane. For half a mile there's no footpath. Forty-tonners dash along it, travelling to and from an industrial site.

"We have a collection of wing mirrors from lorries that have taken glancing blows from other large vehicles passing in the opposite direction. One day we're going to have a serious collision," added Mr Brookes.

The community has called for a 7.5 tonne weight restriction and some further measures to slow down traffic.

County Highways chiefs have ruled out any weight limit after carrying out a survey in conjunction with the police.

But on Tuesday came news that alterations to the junction at Station Road and London Road, Elworth that will channel the heavy vehicles away from Wheelock were on the way.

Local County Councillor David Lloyd-Griffiths revealed that the authority had budgeted for the work. Consultations with Elworth residents over the design and details would take place in October/November with work expected to begin in the early spring.

The welcome move will only partly solve the Hind Heath residents problems. Car and van drivers also cause hazards.

"Drivers are ignoring the 40mph limit. Amongst the worst culprits are Royal Mail vehicles. We've dubbed them 'Cowboy Pats'," said Mr Brookes.

Neighbour, Peter Diamond, has two young daughters. He believes they and all the other local youngsters are at risk and that more direct traffic-slowing measures like humps, should be introduced.

"Drivers are ignoring the speed limit. Unfortunately this is nothing more than a country road that has become a busy through route from Crewe to Middlewich and vehicles often travel at more than 60mph," he said.

Plans are underway to relieve other traffic problems in Wheelock. Work on laying a silent surface on Crewe Road and red slowing strips through the village could begin by October. It is the final part of work associated with the bypass opened in 1998. Villagers can comment on September, 7.

KESWICK the cat has lost a leg and the second of her nine lives thanks to a speeding hit and run motorist on Hind Heath Road.

"I know the driver was going fast because I heard the screech of brakes. I rushed out but there was no sign of the vehicle. Keswick's paw was crushed and the vet had to take her whole leg off. She is lucky to be alive. It was upsetting enough, but I kept thinking it might have been a child," said owner Joanne Smyth.

She and husband Wayne live in a side road off the Hind Heath rat-run.

Keswick's brush with death is not her first. When Wayne and Joanne discovered her as a stray kitten in the Lake District she was barely alive. After veterinary treatment the couple took her home and nursed her back to health.

"She was lucky to live then and I guess she's been lucky again. But the next accident could involve a child and they might not be so lucky," added Joanne.

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