The battle for a Workington bypass has stepped up a gear, with borough councillors being called upon to back the campaign.

Hilary Harrington, who represents Harrington on the town and borough councils, is calling on her Allerdale council colleagues to support her bid for a southern relief road.

Her call comes after it was revealed that the number of vehicles using the A597 through Harrington had risen by 30 per cent in two years.

With growing numbers of homes being built in the area, campaigners fear the road will become even busier and say residents' safety and well-being is being affected.

Harrington Community Action Group was set up in March to press the case for a relief road, which would take traffic away from Harrington, Salterbeck and Moss Bay, and call for other improvements.

Coun Harrington said the campaign needed the backing of local councils to support a case for funding from Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

She has already secured the support of Workington Town Council.

Coun Harrington said: "We've got to get a case together because we need funding from central Government for this project."

Coun Harrington has been campaigning for years for the road to be built to ease traffic along the A597.

The group is fighting proposals for more housing developments to be built in Harrington, until road improvements are carried out.

Figures released by Cumbria Highways earlier this year revealed that the number of vehicles using that road through Harrington daily had increased from 10,000 in 2015 to more than 13,000 this year - a rise of 30 per cent in two years.

Coun Harrington said: "Over 1,000 of those are heavy goods vehicles and they are going through what used to be a B road.

"We need to have consideration for people living along that road. Some of those houses are less than one metre away from it. It's about safety and also the pollution that affects those people.

"The bypass would also provide a vital link to the Port of Workington.

"I'm hoping it will be a short term project. I can't see a reason for councillors not to support this, I'm hopeful it will be supported across the board."

Richard Johnston, action group chairman, said: "There should be a bypass to take away heavy goods vehicles of what essentially is a residential area. We are concerned about the exponential increase in traffic, if you walk along that road at any time there's a constant stream of vehicles.

"It's about health, environment and quality of life."

He added the group would send representatives to the meeting on Wednesday to support Coun Harrington's motion.