NEW signs erected to deter drivers from speeding through a narrow street may as well be “written in Chinese”, according to one fed-up resident.

Dave Cater told Prestonpans Community Council that he feared someone was going to be killed on Harlaw Hill because of the speed of some motorists.

And he claimed that the biggest problem was young mothers going back and forward to the primary school.

Mr Cater said that he had witnessed a near miss outside his house – which is next to the stretch of the street which narrows outside Harlawhill House and has a stretch without pavement – which had led to a furious exchange of verbal abuse between the female drivers, one of whom had a young child in her car at the time.

He said: “The road narrows to 2.5 metres and cars speed up and down; it is young [mums] taking their kids to school.

“There are elderly people walking down from the day centre; their lives are being put in danger daily.”

Mr Cater told the community council that the road was also affected by large vehicles, with up to four HGV lorries trying to use it every day and drivers having to get out to manouevre through the narrow stretch.

And he said he had witnessed a woman on a mobility scooter topple over as she tried to go up the road and ran out of pavement.

He said: “I managed to stop her going completely into the road and a young man came to our aid and helped get her back upright, but it is an appalling situation.”

Mr Cater said a visit to the street had been carred out by Councillor Willie Innes and council officials in January, with new signage planned.

But he said: “New signage is absolutely useless, it might as well be written in Chinese.”

The stretch of road has speed cushions on it but Mr Cater said that made things worse, as drivers simply swerved around and straddled them, he claimed.

Community councillor DJ Johnston-Smith suggested that the local authority could be asked to consider introducing speed tables, which raise the entire width of the road at the narrow points, to force drivers to slow down.

And it was suggested that the project be submitted to Preston, Seton, Gosford Area Partnership.

Ward councillor Fiona O’Donnell asked if it was possible for the street to be made one-way.

Jimmy Yule, community council vice-chairman, said: “It is a bad bit of road and it does not help with Kirk Street being closed.”

Community police officer Fiona Cunningham said that officers would try and attend at the street on a regular basis with speed guns.

The community council agreed to raise the issue with East Lothian Council and the area partnership.

East Lothian Council said that plans were under way to paint the road to highlight the narrowing and put up signs warning it was unsuitable for wide vehicles.