People living in a “rat-run” road say they fear for their health after parking restrictions made their road even busier.

Road rage incidents, speeding drivers and traffic jams are everyday occurrences in Pyrles Lane, Loughton, according to a number of people living there.

They claim drivers use the road as a shortcut from Theydon Bois and Epping to Loughton, making the road gridlocked at morning and evening rush hours.

Parking restrictions have made the problems worse, they claim, after a council officer informed drivers they could no longer park on grass verges- effectively forcing them to park on the road.  

Tony Waters, 74, has lived on Pyrles Lane all his life and he said in recent years the traffic and parking had become a serious problem.

He said: “It is a lane really, but it has become a motorway.

“It is shocking, frightening.

“It has got to the stage now where I fear for myself going out there in the morning and afternoon.

“If I have got a hospital appointment I arrange it for another time.

“It is not good for my health, and it seems to have gotten worse over the last six months.”

Gary Wise, 59, said he felt the council needed to offer a solution.

He said: “A one-way system would be a nightmare for residents, some people suggested yellow lines.

"That would stop people parking but not the traffic.

“The council needs to think, do they need a new junction to get on to the motorway?

“There are a few things they could do but they need to sit around the table and come up with some solutions.”

Mr Wise said he felt it was only a matter of time until there is a serious accident during rush hour.

He said: “There is the possibility of a child being seriously injured.

“They really should do some lay-bys and do something to improve the parking situation.”

Cliff Denton, 44, said the road is “murder” to drive on.

He said: “People are moving in and they have about 4 cars.

“It is a nightmare, there is just not enough parking for them.

“We have got double-decker buses with no-one on them coming down.

“They vibrate the whole house, the road is just not big enough.”