Residents have marched against plans to introduce a tram network to parts of west London.

Under the �200m scheme, trams will operate on the Uxbridge Road in the borough of Ealing, through Uxbridge to Shepherd's Bush via Acton, Ealing, Hanwell and Southall town centres.

But angry residents, who have formed the Save Ealing's Streets campaign group, do not want parts of the road closed to cars and say traffic will be diverted along residential streets.

A 27-feet 'tram', which residents constructed, led the 'Follow The Tram' march from Ealing Town Hall on Monday morning

Pinch points

The procession went to Ealing Common before heading back to the town hall where a statement was handed to Ealing Council.

A spokesman for the group said: "About 27,000 cars a day go along the Uxbridge Road through Ealing, yet there are plans to close it to traffic at a number of pinch points along the route where the road is too narrow to accommodate separate lanes for traffic and the tram."

In November Save Ealing's Streets organised a public meeting on the tram which was attended by over 1,000 people.

The previous month they presented a petition signed by more than 11,000 people to London mayor Ken Livingstone and Ealing Council.

The west London project was announced by Mr Livingstone last May, along with the �300m Cross River Tram, which will connect Camden in north London to Brixton in the south.

He added that about 50 million passengers a year are expected to use the tram service in Ealing which is expected to be completed by 2009.

A spokesman for Transport for London said: "We welcome the views of local residents but we hope the tram scheme will actually help reduce traffic in heavily congested areas along the Uxbridge Road."