VILLAGERS battling for a reduced speed limit on what they claim is a dangerous village road near Eastleigh have demanded that road bosses pay for a "few signs and cans of paint".

Residents of Winchester Street, Botley, say that cars and lorries reach up to 60mph on the narrow road and all bar five have signed a 119-name petition calling for a change in the limit. Eastleigh MP David Chidgey has also joined their fight.

Currently the stretch near Boorley Green has a 40mph limit but residents claim that many cars far exceed that and then don't slow down coming into the village.

Elderly people living in the road at Hollybank Rest Home have to negotiate the fast traffic as do children going to and from nearby Botley Primary School.

Now campaigners, who refuse to give up their fight after months of knock-backs, are demanding that Hampshire County Council road chiefs invest a small amount of money to highlight the varying speed limits.

But the council refuses to act because it claims the road is safe as there have been no fatal accidents.

Petition organiser Sarah Keohane said: "How much would it cost to paint a few 30mph circles in white paint on the road, how much would it cost for a few more Kill Your Speed signs in this street?

"It is all very well for the county surveyor to say that because no fatality has happened that there is no need for any further measures. But we cannot let our children anywhere near Winchester Street for fear that they will be involved in an accident, because of the speed of vehicles in this street.

"The council tax rises each year, the police portion of this rose by 27 per cent this year and they will not carry out their duty in enforcing the statutory speed limits in this street. No checks have occurred since 2000, I certainly have not seen any police checking traffic speed in this street for a long time."

A letter to David Chidgey from the county surveyor's department said the road has "an extremely good record" and there's no justification for a reduced speed limit

"The Kill Your Speed signs are not permanent and would have a limited, temporary effect," it read.