AN 11-year-old girl stood up and made councillors take notice at a meeting last night.

Shay Paterson, of Horner Street, in Clifton, York, gave a speech to a meeting of the full council in the city's historic Guildhall to try and get traffic calming introduced in her street.

Along with her mum, Sarah Gallogly, Shay collected more than 75 signatures for a petition handed in to councillors by Coun David Scott about speeding in Horner and Cromer Street and nearby Wilberforce Avenue.

Shay told councillors she had three cats but all had been run down by cars going too fast in the road outside her home.

She said: "I have lived there for ten years and had three cats, Whiskey, Lucky and Kaiser. Not one of them has lived beyond 18 months because of cars speeding.

"Sometimes, I'm even scared of going into the street and I'm afraid that the next time it will be a little girl or boy that gets knocked down."

Coun Scott, the city's young peoples' champion, applauded Shay's courage in standing up to have her say.

He said: "It's about young people taking possession of their community and the fact that Shay has gone out and got over 75 signatures shows her real commitment to this issue."

Members agreed to consider the petition which was one of 11 handed in at the meeting.

On their way into the Guildhall, councillors and officers were confronted by families opposing the closure of York's Yearsley Bridge Centre in Huntington Road.

Inside the meeting, Sally Arnup, who has founded an action group against the closure, gave an impassioned plea to members to keep the centre open.

Mrs Arnup said: "There are 73 people who use the centre and half have severe disabilities.

"The fears of parents are considerable.

"There are many at Yearsley who have little contact with their relatives - if we don't speak for them who will?"

Sally, a sculptor from Holtby, near York, whose daughter, Rebecca, 46, uses a wheelchair and is unable to feed and clothe herself, and regularly attends the centre, handed over a petition with 1,931 signatures.

Coun Brian Watson said: "What the people who have signed the petition want is for the council to consult those who use the centre and find out what they want."

Last week The Press reported that a council spokeswoman said that while more than 70 families were affected by plans to modernise the day care services currently offered at Yearsley Bridge, only a small number had raised issues or concerns with the authority.

"We would urge anyone who has any concerns or complaints to phone project manager Bart Penson on 01904 554078." she said.