Residents fear dangerous drivers will kill someone unless traffic-calming measures are put in place on an estate.

People living at the top of Whitehawk Crescent in Whitehawk, Brighton, claim their road has been turned into a racetrack by nuisance drivers.

They are calling on Brighton and Hove City Council to stop rogue motorists before an accident happens.

Kevin Cohen, 45, who has lived in the street for five years, said: "This road is used as a short cut to the other side of the Whitehawk estate.

"No end of vehicles are damaged up here. Some of them are driven by joyriders but most are by people who have no consideration for other road users, pedestrians and residents.

"I have been on to the council about doing some traffic calming in this area but it is the same old story and nothing seems to get done.

"No one will take any notice until someone is killed or maimed and it will happen. I have called the police on several occasions about stolen cars that have been dumped up here.

"One was on its roof, another hit my fence. How much longer will it go on before someone starts to do something?

"I lay in bed every night hearing cars screech around.

"Every time we hear a bang we look to see what has been hit now. My wife has had so many near misses on the corner and she is a very careful driver.

"I have a drive where I park my car but it is quite an effort to get on and off it. I have to have someone watching me to check nothing is coming.

"All we need is speed humps."

Mr Cohen is a neighbourhood warden for the New Deal for Communities scheme to improve areas across Britain which are recognised as deprived.

A total of £42 million over ten years has been allocated for the East Brighton area, with £1 million set aside for traffic calming.

Pat Keating, 69, has lived in Whitehawk Crescent for two years.

She said: "It is terrifying. My fence has been smashed up twice as well as the post at the bottom of my steps.

"I have been told I am lucky to have a grass bank outside my house because otherwise cars that have hit the fence could have come into my front window."

Her husband John Keating, 64, said: "We want to stop this going on. Last week I saw two children walking along the pavement when a car came down the road too fast and mounted the pavement nearly hitting them."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove police said: "The police will keep an eye on the situation and we will increase patrols in that area."

A spokesman for the city council said: "We have a new budget for traffic-calming schemes.

"We are in the middle of assessing more than 100 potential sites for this. Whitehawk Crescent is one of these."