PROTESTERS at an angry public meeting demanded action over the speed and weight of traffic in Chesham.

Residents said thundering juggernauts were shaking their houses. Others feared that the speed of traffic through the town was a risk to people walking.

But traffic bosses at the county council told people living in Waterside, Moor Road, Church Street, Fullers Hill, Wey Lane and Germain Street that no money had been allocated to improve safety on the town's roads.

Ken Moloughney, the council's senior traffic management technician, told the meeting at Chesham Town Hall last week that he had tried to get extra money but areas such as Waterside did not meet the criteria for traffic calming.

He said: 'We have about 500 sites on our traffic-calming lists. Funding allows us to put in between six and ten schemes a year; of these 500 all are prioritised in terms of accidents.'

Richard Wainwright, who lives in Germain Street, said he was worried about the speed of traffic outside Thomas Harding County Junior School, Fullers Hill.

He said: 'The cars can go up to 60 or 70mph there. I just cannot believe the council is saying it is waiting for someone to be hurt before something is done.'

He added: 'I'm amazed there has not been a fatality there and I'm going to say we could have prevented it from happening.'

Patricia Gairdner, of Missenden End, said heavy lorries should be banned from the town or else subjected to a 25mph speed limit to stop juggernauts shaking old buildings in Church Street to their foundations.

She said: 'Apart from the fact heavy lorries are going through the town, we haven't talked about the damage they are doing to these older buildings.

'We can feel our cottage shaking - when you get walls bowing, who's going to foot the bill?'

Some felt the only answer would be to start a campaign to raise funds themselves.

Builder Steve Terry after hearing that a traffic-light installation would cost up to £10,000, said: 'What if I dig the holes myself?'