Villagers may have to pay more council tax to stop traffic from speeding.

Hundreds of Balcombe residents will be asked for their views on how to stop traffic speeding through their village.

Balcombe Parish Council also plans to ask residents whether they would be willing to pay about £25 towards the cost of calming measures.

The money would be collected by increasing the parish council charge on council tax bills.

Balcombe has had major traffic problems since the opening of the M23 Maidenbower slip road more than a year ago.

Southbound traffic heading for Haywards Heath, which once came off the A23 at Cuckfield, now passes through Balcombe instead and residents say the road cannot cope.

Now road experts have been asked to find a suitable traffic calming scheme.

But West Sussex County Council says the site is not an accident blackspot so traffic calming there is a low priority.

Villagers disagree. Parish clerk Liz Johnson said: "The Balcombe Road Safety Campaign, which came up with the idea of doing something to try to slow traffic, is not prepared to wait until someone dies before anything is done.

"This is why we are considering asking people if they would be willing to help."

About 1,300 leaflets will be sent out to residents and a public exhibition and presentation will take place next month.