Village speed humps are removed

Ten speed humps are being removed from a Staffordshire village – but not ones named the worst in the country.

Work has started to remove notorious speed humps in Great Wyrley after a six-year battle by residents.

Workmen began tearing up humps on Tower View Road on Monday morning but are leaving two speed cushions on the road untouched.

Last November the speed cushions were named as the worst in Britain in a poll by Continental Tyres.

The cushions, placed at a flooding spot, was often so submerged by water it caught out drivers and damaged cars.

Great Wyrley has a total of 146 speed humps and cushions and Staffordshire County Council has agreed to carry out a review of the humps which have sparked protests from local residents.

A group called WRATH, or Wyrley Residents Against The Humps, has been campaigning for years to get the humps removed, claiming they had not slowed traffic but had caused more pollution and damage to cars.

As well as 10 full width road humps being removed, a further 10 humps will be replaced by speed cushions.

It is expected to take a fortnight to complete work on the humps, and the area's county councillors Kath Perry and Mike Lawrence have put £15,000 towards the project from a fund for the community.

County council transport bosses agreed to act after accident figures after the installation of the humps was completed in 2003 showed some of them were unnecessary.

Joseph Gregory, aged 62, of Tower View Road said: "We are definitely pleased with this work because the thing is this is a start, it is something positive for the people of Great Wyrley." An on-going review by Staffordshire County Council could see more humps removed or altered but the loss of 10 humps still leaves the village with 136 speed bumps which WRATH believes should be removed.