Residents from three Abergavenny streets being used as rat-runs by impatient motorists have handed in a petition calling on Monmouthshire County Council to make their neighbourhood safer from traffic.

The petition, signed by more than 100 residents of Stanhope Street, Avenue Road and Chapel Road, was handed over to Councillor Paul Jordan last Sunday. It demands that the council investigates how traffic using the streets as a short cut, can be reduced.

People living in the area have long complained that traffic using Brecon Road cuts through Chapel Road, Stanhope Street and onto Avenue Road in an attempt to avoid queues on Brecon Road or to take a few seconds off their journey.

But residents say the route is less than 100 yards shorter than staying on Brecon Road to reach the traffic lights on the corner of Pen-y-Pound and Avenue Road and, while most drivers keep to the 20mph speed limit, many do not, putting children and elderly at risk in an area which includes both King Henry VIII comprehensive and Cantref primary schools.

In Stanhope Street, where all houses open directly onto the pavement, residents complain the noise of vehicles is often too much and parked cars are regularly damaged.

One resident who did not wish to be named, said, "Drivers use the route as a short cut, unwilling to wait even a few minutes for cars to be unloaded. It's particularly upsetting to be getting your child out of a car seat and have drivers impatiently revving their engines and using their horns for you to get a move on."

The issue is made worse on market and other busy days in the town and local people fear once the cattle market superstore opens and the Cwrt-y-Gollen housing development is completed, traffic on Brecon Road will increase, impacting heavily on Stanhope Street and surrounding roads, creating what one resident referred to as a 'nightmare scenario'.

Residents say changes to the layout of Stanhope Street, meaning residents would no longer have to park on the pavement, would be welcomed. Following the recent resurfacing of Avenue Road, they're hoping that, when it's the turn of Stanhope Street, the council will consider addressing this issue.

Councillor Jordan, who has given his full support to the campaign, will present the petition to full council on September 27.

Residents hope MCC will give their request full consideration and that a number of different options will be drawn up and discussed with all concerned in the neighbourhood.