VILLAGERS who say their lives are being blighted by traffic congestion have banded together to sign a petition, which they say they will take all the way to Downing Street.

Traffic jams on the A303 stretched back miles this summer, with thousands of motorists trying to avoid the queues by diverting off the main road and seeking alternative routes through surrounding villages.

What started as the Shrewton Traffic Action Group set up to oppose the rat-running, has changed its name to the Stonehenge Traffic Action Group as more villages join the fight.

A petition calling for road improvements on the A303 and an end to the traffic congestion in south Wiltshire’s villages has now been signed by more than 900 people in three weeks.

At the weekend an event took place in Shrewton Methodist Church Hall attended by about 140 people each day, who signed the petition and shared their views.

“It was very successful,” said the group’s founder Janice Hassett. “People do feel very strongly about it.

“We know there is a long way to go before we take it to Number 10, but with everyone saying the same thing, they have to sit up and take notice.

“We had to change the name of the group to Stonehenge Traffic Action Group because this also affects people in Chitterne, Berwick St James, Winterbourne Stoke and all the surrounding villages.”

Speaking at a meeting of Amesbury Town Council last Tuesday, Councillor John Noeken said: “There is a strategic group for the A303 set up by the Highways Agency to look at the issues affecting all the counties down to Cornwall and there has been for some little while.

“Some is being driven by councillors and other issues, and possible solutions are being raised by the public.

“We need to look at the volume of traffic and come up with sensible ideas so we don’t see a repeat of the scenes we had earlier this year.”