Royal Engineers, driving recklessly at high speeds on a stretch of road near their Ripon base, are ‘putting lives at risk’ claim local residents.

Fears that there will soon be a human fatality, if urgent traffic calming measures are not put in place, have heightened following reports on social media that pet cats have recently been killed on Clotherhome Road.

The family pets join a mounting casualty list that also includes a Labrador puppy hit by a car.

Fears of a human fatality

Claire Charlton, who lives opposite the playing fields and within sight of two 15mph speed limit signs (pictured below) said:

“It’s only a matter of time before we will have a human fatality – things are getting out of hand.”

The mother of four and owner of two small dogs, pointed out:

“A lot of school-children use the cut through between the Doublegates estate and Clotherholme Road as a short cut on their way to and from school and it would be dreadful if it took the death of a child, to make speeding motorists realise what a danger they pose to children, other road users, dog walkers and family pets.”

Students of both Ripon Grammar School and Outwood Academy, use this short-cut from the Doublegates estate and onto the busy Clotherholme Road

Mrs Charlton, added:

“A few weeks ago, I was reversing out of my drive onto Clotherholme Road and was nearly hit by a white car that must have been going at more than 60 miles per hour.

“I followed the driver as he turned into Chatham Road, but when I came to the barrier at the entrance to the barracks, I was stopped by by camp security, who told me it wasn’t their problem.”

Batty was found dead on Clotherholme Road and his owner says the extent of his injuries indicate he was hit with considerable force by a vehicle

The loss of a family pet

On the Doublegates estate, the distraught owner of Batty, a black cat killed on the road a week ago, was tearful as she told the Stray Ferret:

“He came to us as a stray and was a beautiful, home-loving cat, who very rarely went out of our garden.

“But he didn’t come in when we called for him at bedtime and my partner found him with terrible injuries, dead on the road the following morning.”

She, added:

“Some people say, ‘what’s the fuss, it’s only a cat’ but to us Batty was a member of our family.”

Concerns have been raised by people living in the urban area and adjacent residential streets,  who say that the finger of blame points clearly at soldiers traveling to and from Claro Barracks at the far end of Clotherholme Road.

‘Letting the regiment down’

Neil Divine, who served in the Royal Engineers for 23 years – four of them in Ripon – told the Stray Ferret:

“As a former member of the regiment, I regret to say that the weight of blame rests squarely on the shoulders of some soldiers, based at the barracks, who are  letting the regiment down.

“They are seen in their uniforms driving recklessly to and from the barracks, at ridiculously high speeds.”

The section of road on the approach to the barracks has a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, but Mr Devine said:

“Not only is this regularly ignored, by most drivers, but they also speed in the 30mph section that goes past homes where there are families with children and pets – all of whom are being put at risk because of this reckless behaviour.”

The Stray Ferret has asked the Ministry of Defence for a response to the claims but did not receive one at the time of publication.

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