Chris Jones is leading the campaign against rat-running

A panel of judges was told parents will not let their children play or walk alone near the resort's Wykeham Street because of the dangers of speeding motorists.

The street, near the town centre, consists of terraced housing with few front gardens and very narrow pavements.

There are two schools on the road and it is a popular place for families to live.

Rat-running is dangerous and totally disrespectful of the people who live in the area. Julia Samson Transport 2002

Chris Jones, who has spearheaded a campaign to stop people using Wykeham Street as a rat-run, said: "Why do we have to put up with fumes and noise and the speed at which these vehicles travel?"

Numerous residents in Wykeham Street have put up posters in their windows asking motorists to travel no faster than 20 mph.

The competition to find the worst rat-run was organised by Transport 2000, the sustainable transport group Sustrans, and the Big Issue magazine.

Wykeham Street has narrow pavements

Julia Samson from Transport 2000 said: "Rat-running is dangerous and totally disrespectful of the people who live in the area.

"Residential roads are intended for local journeys only and weren't designed for hundreds of cars an hour.

"They should be places where neighbours can meet and talk and children can play after school - not race tracks for people in a hurry."

Bruce Bedford, from Scarborough Borough Council, said: "We are aware that there has been concern in Wykeham Street for some time about the problem of rat-running traffic.

"We are in discussions with the county council about what can be done and will be liaising with residents in the near future about taking forward an area-wide traffic calming scheme for Wykeham and neighbouring streets."

The second-worst rat-run was judged to be Dukes Avenue in Muswell Hill, north London, where traffic levels can peak at 1,000 cars an hour.