A SOUTH Lakeland bed-and-breakfast owner has warned that 'someone is going to die' along a road in the district if the speed limit is not reduced.

Sandy Childs says she has pushed for changes along the A593 at Little Arrow, between Torver and Coniston, via numerous avenues but to no avail.

"There are properties that have to pull out onto that road and, for most of them, you have to be quite a way out before you can see clearly," said Ms Childs, 60.

"In the summer, it's like a racetrack in the evening.

"The younger lads, they tailgate and try and overtake each other and all sorts.

"Lorries thunder past, shaking the house, people overtake if you decelerate to turn in, some of the locals drive like maniacs and will be abusive."

She described being woken this month at 12.45am by a car that 'was absolutely tearing through'.

"It sounded like a grenade," she said.

Ms Childs runs Wheelgate Bed and Breakfast, which sits along the road, with partner Stuart Granger.

She says the speed limit further along the road in each direction is lower and she wants a reduction for the national-speed-limit stretch that runs through Little Arrow.

She has vowed not to let the matter rest with public figures and authorities.

She says the county council previously put cameras out to measure the speed of cars along the stretch and the average speed identified was between 40 and 50mph in both directions.

However, she stressed that vehicles regularly exceeded these speeds.

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said there was 'a perception of speed issues' but that the council had 'not found any evidence to indicate that a reduction in speed limit is appropriate or would make a real difference'.

"We have monitored traffic volumes and speeds and checked collision data here a number of times," said the spokesman.

"The concerns have also been raised with the casualty reduction and safer highways group.

"At the present time, there are no plans to make any changes to the speed limit between Coniston and Torver."