CONCERNED residents in an East Yorkshire village have united to reduce traffic speed outside their local school.

Parents and residents have pledged to fight for a School Safety Zone outside St Martin's CE Primary School, Fangfoss, over fears that youngsters are in danger from speeding cars.

At a recent public meeting organised by Fang-FUSS (Fangfoss Upgrades School Safety), there was a unanimous vote for a 20mph limit outside the primary school and a 30mph restriction through Fangfoss, Bolton and Spittal.

The current limit is 40mph, including the stretch right outside the school gates

The new campaign - 30! 20! Safety! Sign The Fang-FUSS Pledge - was launched during the school's summer social event on Saturday. Parents, residents and visitors signed the pledge at the school, and the Carpenters Arms pub. Fang-FUSS campaigners, who have also distributed car stickers, are now lobbying local businesses for their support.

Fang-FUSS spokesperson Richard Claxton said: "The current speed limit may be acceptable to East Riding of Yorkshire Council, but it's certainly not acceptable to the vast majority of people in the community.

"In the absence of a council commitment to calm the traffic and protect our children, we shall endeavour to do it ourselves."

Campaigners said the council had offered to begin looking at the possibility of a 30mph zone outside the school in 2004 but it did not have sufficient funds to do anything before then.

"Our view is that this offer from the council is nothing more than we're likely to get anyway - in the end," Mr Claxton said.

"The council is undertaking a school-by-school audit and will weigh up priorities for road safety initiatives. It's hard to believe we would not be a priority as we know of only four other schools in the county with limits above 30mph. "We remain completely committed to speeding up the process. The situation outside the school is an accident waiting to happen."

Updated: 10:23 Thursday, July 17, 2003