Living in an Eastleigh residential road has become a traffic nightmare.

Residents fear that it will worsen as more traffic is unleashed on the area when the massive Pirelli site development - creating hundreds of new homes - gets under way.

Toynbee Road has become a rat-run with hundreds of cars and lorries speeding through and jamming the road every day.

Now residents, who say the street has seen an enormous increase in passing traffic, are calling for council action to solve the motoring misery.

They say there has been an enormous increase in traffic.

They add that concern is growing for children from the nearby Crescent primary school.

Residents fear that pupils could be hurt in an accident waiting to happen.

David Downhill, aged 64, of Toynbee Road, has tried to have something done about the problem for years.

He said: "My concern is that with all these kids around the next thing we will have is a serious accident.

"The council has been involved and it did a survey.

"But it seems to insist that there is no traffic problem and we can cope."

Motorists using the road as a short cut on their way to work and lorries from nearby industries are believed to be the reasons for the heavy traffic that passes by the primary school every day.

Another Toynbee Road resident, Mr Norman Steele, dubbed the current conditions as "crazy" and "horrendous".

He said: "The street gets packed and when there is no space, you end up with chaos on the pavement."

Mr Downhill has warned that traffic moving rubble from the Pirelli construction site will jam up Leigh Road leading to more traffic using Toynbee Road as a rat run.

An Eastleigh council spokesman says: "Traffic issues were investigated when brought to the council's attention and were then given a priority by the area committee.

"Only one inquiry about high traffic volumes has been received in respect of Toynbee Road.

"This was in October. The complaint will be investigated and reported to the committee in due course.

"Historically, industrial premises have been located at the end of Toynbee Road and although used by heavy goods traffic, access to the premises has to be maintained.

"The council transport policy team is meeting the head and chairman of governors at The Crescent School this week to discuss a possible school travel plan.

"This would identify measures to make cycling and walking to school safer."