'Scare the horses' - Council urged to remove new South Shields speed bumps over funeral slip fears

An undertaker is urging the removal of new speed bumps from outside his South Tyneside funeral parlour – because they upset the horses that pull his hearses.

Richard Dalton, 55, of Richard Dalton Funerals, does not fear bumps in the night, only those that disrupt his business by day.

He has warned his animals dread traversing the giant black blocks on Whiteleas Way, at Whiteleas – and worries disaster may strike.

His biggest concern is a horse tripping or slipping while walking over or around one, unceremoniously disrupting the final journey to crematorium or cemetery.

Such is his unease he has started to bring his horse-drawn coaches out from a different exit to avoid the three nearest bumps.

Others have been installed along adjoining Nevinson Avenue and Galsworthy Road as part of a safety scheme that has also seen speed limits slashed to 20mph.

Whiteleas ward Labour councillor Ernest Gibson insisted the safety upgrades were essential to preserving life and limb for pedestrians, including schoolchildren.

South Shields new speed bumps - ‘they are pointless’

But Mr Dalton said there was not time to respond to a council-led consultation and he came into work one day to find the project underway.

He is now demanding action and said: “The council should remove all these new speed bumps – I really do worry that a horse may slip.

“It hasn’t happened yet, but I had one that freaked out a little. We hire the horses for when we need them and they learn the route.

“The speed bumps appear as strange objects to them. The bumps should be removed entirely, they really do scare the horses.

“They are pointless – they are supposed to be traffic calming but people who speed will still speed.”

Cllr Gibson, the council’s Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change, said more slow-down measures were needed to prevent death and injury.

He recently attended the launch of the Northumbria Road Safety Partnership, a partnership of police and the region’s local authorities, in his capacity as South Tyneside’s representative.

Cllr Gibson said speeding “continues to devastate lives in my ward and across South Tyneside”.

And he added: “Despite 20mph zones, drivers routinely ignore limits, putting children, disabled residents, and older people at daily risk.

“I speak not just from policy, but from lived experience. I hear the fear in residents’ voices.

“I see the near misses. And I know that every life lost or changed by speeding is one too many.”

South Tyneside Council make statement on the size of speed bumps

South Tyneside Council said the speed bumps complied with national guidelines and there had been several recorded collisions at Whiteleas in recent years, including an historic fatality.

A spokesperson added: “Reducing speeds is one of the most effective ways to prevent serious accidents, and the council has a statutory duty to improve road safety.

“The measures help bring these routes into line with the wider 20mph zone already in place across Whiteleas and Biddick Hall.

“The speed cushions installed are 75mm high, which is well within national regulations, and are a standard physical traffic calming measure used across the UK to ensure speeds are reduced and maintained, creating a safer environment for residents, pedestrians, and all road users.”