MAD, bad drivers are putting the lives of families living on winding Narrow Lane, Crewe Green, at risk.

Behind a fence that has been smashed down three times this year a six-year-old and her friends play.

This family and their neighbours fear for their safety when using their gardens or the drive to their homes.

Last year there were more than a dozen incidents on the bend, several involving damage to the fence.

There is a surfeit of hazard signs and markers near and on the offending bend.

"But you can't legislate against bad driving and that's what is putting our lives at risk. Some vehicles are travelling at uncontrollable speeds with no thought for anyone else," said David Carter, of Vine Tree Cottage.

His home is not the one behind the fence in our photograph, but further back from the road.

"The family at Apricot Cottage are most vulnerable but we and our other neighbours are also at risk, particularly when we are trying to get in or out of the drive leading to the properties," he said.

He has lived near the bend for 35 years and remembers moves to straighten it out which would have involved Duchy of Lancaster land.

"They did take out hedgerow, but nothing came of the re-routing call," he added.

The residents' concerns have been taken up by ward councillor Maureen Campbell who has appealed to motorists to slow down.

"There are so many warnings about this bend. Extending the curb might help. But the problem is speed and some very bad driving," she said.

Borough Head of Engineering David Hayes is also concerned, but admits that there is very little more that can be done as the road is saturated with hazard posts, signs and white lines.

"It is a country road so we would not get a low speed limit. Drivers are simply ignoring the warnings and going too fast." he said.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.