YORK residents have staged a protest highlighting traffic problems on a city road.

They held banners reading "Stop All HGVs on Heslington Lane" and "Stop the University Rat Run" at last night's full meeting of City of York Council.

Charles Tams, who lives in Heslington Lane, addressed the meeting to ask for something to be done about the problems. He said since traffic-calming measures had been put in, it was "like bedlam", with HGVs going to and from the University of York.

He said those that carried goods to the university shook houses on the way past and empty ones on the way back created a great deal of noise.

After the meeting he said: "It is outrageous that we have to put up with this. We want our street back.

"The main problem has been when they put the traffic-calming measures in and the big lorries taking things to the university sites."

He said the traffic-calming measures were not even effective, as they were only reducing the speed of traffic by about ten mph and traffic was still travelling above the speed limit.

He said the traffic went so fast along the road it was often difficult to cross.

As well as the noise problem, there was a problem with the volume of traffic.

The road had become so busy his car had been attacked while he tried to reverse it into the drive and he now avoided going out at peak times.

Coun Roger Farrington presented a petition to the council which asked for a number of measures, including a ban on HGVs in Heslington Lane.

Residents had also signed petitions asking for the removal of speed tables and against Heslington Lane becoming an "unofficial ring road".

The matter will now be discussed at an executive meeting or by the appropriate committee.

Updated: 10:44 Wednesday, April 16, 2003