AN ONLINE petition has been launched in the hope of putting the brakes on speeding drivers in an Angus street.

The death of a family pet has spurred Kirriemuir resident Janet Wilson into a call for traffic-calming on the Roods. She fears a child could be the next accident victim.

“I have lived on the Roods since 1996, and in this time I have noticed cars speeding down this small, straight road,” said Janet, who plans to submit her petition to the council and police.

“On this busy road near the town centre there is the Guide hall, which is very busy at times with youngsters crossing and getting picked up by parents.

“There is also a church, which can be very busy, and further up the road there is Northmuir Primary School, so lots of children walk down this road every day.

“My cat, Terry, was killed by a van in April but I can’t help thinking that he could have been a child from the Guide hall or coming down from school.

“I know of quite a few animals killed or injured, including one of my other cats just after we moved here, and my son got his foot crushed by a car as he stepped off the pavement in error some years back.”

Janet added, “I believe action should be taken to assess the extent of the problem and to resource appropriate traffic-calming measures to prevent injury and/or loss of life.

“I would also request that the police become more proactive in monitoring to effect prosecution of speeding drivers, and that they liaise with the local authority to consider an appropriate response to this issue.”

Her petition is online at www.kirrieroods.co.uk

* Members of Edzell Primary parents’ council have spoken of their concerns over speeding motorists entering the village.

At the latest meeting of Inveresk Community Council, the parents also raised concerns over cars parking on the white lines around the pedestrian islands and obscuring the road from pedestrians.

They were also concerned that a path did not extend as far as one of the islands on the Muir side of the road.

Local police officer Doug Laurie noted the fears of the residents and said police vehicles regularly stopped at the Muir to monitor traffic entering the village.

He added that police couldn’t be on hand all the time, but that surveys revealed there wasn’t any major problem at the site due to the roundabout acting like a natural brake.

Meanwhile, Councillor Mairi Evans promised to look into the issues raised over the paths, and the possibility of bringing the county’s mobile speed warning lights and radar signs to the village to raise awareness among motorists.