A NEW residents' group in Horwich has pledged to fight for the rights of neighbours living in a "rat-run" street.

The Crown Station Area Residents' Association has been formed to fight the problem of lorries using Crown Lane and Station Road as a short cut from Chorley New Road to the A6 Blackrod bypass.

Protesters say they formed the association to monitor the developments of nearby companies like the recycling and skip hire firm J Dickinson and Sons.

David Wilson, vice-chairman of the association, said: "We want a good standard of living in Crown Lane and Station Road and we want to improve the quality of life for residents.

"We will also keep a wary eye on developments and try and keep things under control by getting traffic-calming measures put in place.

"We are particularly against early morning starts for the nearby industries and 24-hour-a-day operations."

As reported in the Bolton Evening News this month, protesters won the first round of their battle to stop Dickinsons plans to drive its vehicles down the roads from 6am, seven days a week.

At the moment, the firm is allowed to use the roads from 7am.

Councillors on Blackrod Town Council's planning committee voted against an application from the firm, which said only small vans would use the road to deliver to just one of the units at its premises at Rivington View Business Park in Station Road.

Mr Wilson said: "We have got together to try and have a greater impact and a bigger say on what goes on.

"People power seems to have more of an effect on the powers that be.

"We need to do something about this rat-run and stop the companies using our road instead of De Havilland Way," he said.

"We have got hundreds of trucks going up and down every day, going up on pavements because they cant fit on the road and causing a danger to pedestrians and children.

"We need to see some schemes that offer the residents choices."

Blackrod Town Council has also voted to support a move to bring in chicanes and a weight restriction on the two roads, after residents responded to a Bolton Council survey last month which asked which option they preferred.

Councillors voted to unite the two alternatives.

Bolton Council now has to decide which measure to take up.

Dickinson and Sons declined to comment.