Residents are demanding the removal of road safety measures from their streets only weeks after they were installed.

Traffic lights, speed bumps and built-out kerbs were introduced to slow traffic in streets near the new Peacehaven Community School.

East Sussex County Council oversaw the work, which was funded under the school's private finance initiative and is part of the Safe Routes to School scheme.

But more than 200 people have signed a petition claiming the scheme is a safety hazard and has devalued their homes.

Members of the newly-formed Peacehaven and Telscombe Residents' Action Group say they know of several incidents in which drivers have crashed into build-outs on Arundel Road.

Spokesman David Thomas said: "They've spent about £1 million pounds and made the roads more unsafe.

"We welcome anything which will make roads and pavements safer but this scheme has been ill-thought out.

"The council has put build-outs all the way down Arundel Road but has left them unfinished and not illuminated them.

"At night, it's just like having a pile of bricks in the road and cars have ploughed into them. It's like allowing two trains to go towards each other on the same track.

"They have put road humps down various roads and traffic lights next to people's homes. It is over the top.

"Having traffic lights next to your house devalues it because no one wants to live 10ft away from a set of lights. They lower the whole demeanour of the road."

Graham Rigby, of Saltdean Garages, said the safety measures were causing a daily traffic nightmare.

He said: "I zig-zag up through Peacehaven in the mornings and use Arundel Road. But in the last few weeks, traffic has come to a grinding halt.

"They've put speed bumps all over the place, and in some strange places too."

A council spokeswoman was unable to confirm the cost of the scheme, which she said was undergoing an independent road safety audit.

She said: "Any safety problems will be reported under the audit.

"The whole point of the scheme is to improve the environment and make it safer for children to go to school.

"I would expect that to have a positive effect on property prices."