County highway chiefs are this week being urged to improve road safety in a Staffordshire village.

Barry Stamp, County Councillor for Gnosall Division said he was extremely concerned for the safety of both motorists and pedestrians using Malthouse Lane in Church Eaton.

"Malthouse Lane is only a few hundred yards long and it is used as a rat run by commuter traffic passing through the Village. For most of its length it is single carriageway, without a footpath which means that vehicles entering the road from the houses along its length have little or no visibility. Unfortunately commuter traffic using this road completely disregard these hazards and speed along the road. Over the years local residents and the Parish Council have been campaigning to get something done to improve the situation. However every suggestion they have made have been rejected by the County Council as being unworkable. The latest suggestion is to make the road one-way. This would prevent traffic, already travelling at high speed from the direction of Gnosall swinging into the road, a manoeuvre that is easy to do without any reduction in speed taking place. However the County Council are again sceptical about this plan! I have already raised the matter with the Highways Department and will be backing the call to get this one-way system in place. To help the village's campaign I have asked that speed and traffic flow measurements are taken along the road as soon as possible. It is all too easy for the County Council to turn a blind eye to this problem, as they no doubt think a small length of road in a small rural community does not warrant their attention. However if something is not done to alleviate the situation a serious accident will no doubt occur," said Cllr Stamp.