SPEED humps are to be removed in part of York, and replaced with dummy ones.

The work will go ahead in Westminster Road and The Avenue, Clifton, as part of redevelopment work at St Peter’s School. Lines will be painted on the road, to give the appearance of speed humps, and the real ones relaid once the work is complete.

The humps were originally introduced to reduce rat-running between Water End and Clifton, but City of York Council officials said dummy humps would still encourage drivers to slow down.

But local councillors say scores of local residents attended a public meeting to voice concern at the move.

Coun Ken King said: “I’ve already expressed my concerns on this issue to council officers and said there needs to be a proper traffic management system in place. Once drivers are aware of this it will simply mean many of them revert back to taking this shortcut, especially since the work at Clifton Green has increased queuing times at that junction.”

Fellow councillor David Scott said 89 people attended the ward committee meeting and most expressed concern about traffic problems at Clifton Green, rat-running in Westminster Road and the removal of the speed humps.

He said council officials had agreed to a traffic survey and there would be a special meeting of the ward committee to look at the findings