A PETITION has been launched by a group of Great Lever residents to have double yellow lines and traffic lights installed on a "dangerous" stretch of road.

They say delivery lorries pulling up outside APNA superstore in Fletcher Street are causing obstructions and forcing buses and cars to drive on the wrong side of the road.

They also want traffic lights installed at the four-way junction between Fletcher Street and Lever Street.

Council officials say they asked APNA to install double yellow lines when it was granted planning permission, but the shop overturned the stipulation on appeal.

Tracey Earp, a spokesman for the residents, said: "We are having a lot of issues with the shop over the road and the traffic problems it is causing.

"The other day I was forced onto the pavement because this lorry was parked and a bus came round it and was driving at me.

"We get dozens of buses along here every day and it is dangerous.

"Lots of people drive too fast along here as well, and there is nothing at the bend to slow them down.

"We decided to get a petition going because there have always been accidents here, but now cars are going on the wrong side of the road it is even worse."

She added that APNA has built a large disabled access ramp outside, which residents say is being used to display products, which is an eyesore and detracts from the appearance of the "heritage building".

Taswer Ali, from the APNA superstore, said: "We were building at the back a few months ago which is why we had deliveries at the front.

"But that is over and they are going round the back now.

"Occasionally we have HGVs pull up and come inside to ask something but there is nothing we can do about that.

"We would not accept a delivery from the front now."

A recent incident at the junction which intensified residents' feelings was a crash on March 24, which left five people in hospital.

Police had tried to flag down a Vauxhall Astra just outside the town centre — but the car drove off, crashing into a Ford Transit van and a Volkswagen Golf.

A council spokesman said: “Road safety is one of our priorities and we understand the concerns of residents.

"Any issues raised by a petition are considered and a report would be presented to a future meeting of the executive cabinet member for environmental services.

"We did ask the shop to pay for double yellow lines to be installed outside the entrance but they appealed this with the planning inspectorate, and were successful in their appeal.

"We still want double yellow lines to be put down and, which we will be looking to do ourselves, and we will be consulting on this in the near future.

"We also installed safety measures, such as signage, a few years ago to make the junction more visible.”