HUNDREDS of noisy demonstrators are expected to be out in Borough Green next month protesting over speeding traffic.

The protest march, on Friday October 10, is among a number of events planned to lobby Kent County Council to take urgent action over the village's traffic problems.

Last Friday, more that 200 people were at the inaugural meeting of a new traffic group set up to pressure county councillors and KCC's highways department.

Borough Green Traffic Action Group (BG-TAG) will meet on a regular basis to encourage residents to "make a noise" about speeding - which villagers claim has hit crisis point.

Plans for a bypass for Borough Green were included in the Kent Structure Plan in July, but funding for a large amount of the work has yet to be found.

Residents fear that as the bypass will not be complete for atleast three or four years, they will have to put up with dangerous levels of traffic through the centre of the village in the meantime.

The £3m scheme had been in danger of being shelved by KCC - but highway chiefs were forced into a rethink after villagers' angry reaction.

Parish councillor and action group member, Mike Taylor said: "Villagers' anger at KCC's lack of action on our two problems of speed and pedestrian safety have finally boiled over and a demand has been issued for action.

"The bypass could be three or four years away and we need to stay alive until then. We are at the junction of two major strategic routes and there is no traffic control in the west and north part of the village at all."

The campaigners will be writing to KCC leader, Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart (Con), to ask for seven measures - including pedestrian crossings in the High Street, and in Western Road, as well as crossings with traffic control at the Red Lion Pub in Maidstone Road and at Station Approach.

They also want speed cameras on the A25 Sevenoaks Road and the A227 Wrotham Road, and 30mph speed advisory signs on the A25 from Platt.

A KCC spokesman said: "We are well aware of the problems in Borough Green and all along the A25 and we will look closely at their requests."

The march on October 10 begins at Borough Green Village Hall at 3pm. The route takes in Western Road and Sevenoaks Road. Anyone interested is welcome to bring banners and join in.