Barbara Ward lives in Roseland Road and believes the stretch is overwhelmed by drivers taking a short-cut to avoid diversions, which began last month.

She said: "Two weeks into the roadworks on Warwick Road and already a traffic accident has occurred on one of the roads being used as an unofficial alternative route.

“On Thursday afternoon a dog, having run out of its house when the owners opened the front door, was hit by a car and killed in Roseland Road."

The 68-year-old fears the next casualty could be a child. She added: "With another six months of disruption to go, many residents believe this will not be the last accident we see, and next time it may well be a child or adult, so hazardous has crossing the road here become."

Mrs Ward and fellow residents are calling for Warwickshire County Council to install traffic calming measures in the hope of preventing similar accidents.

She added: "It was completely predictable (to us if not to the council) that the majority of local traffic would use the routes around the St John's area to cut through the town rather than the official diversions.

"These are narrow residential roads with a large amount of on-street parking and with a school located nearby.

"We now have a constant stream of traffic, very little of which adheres to the speed limit and it is becoming very dangerous.

The traffic is not limited just to cars; vans, lorries and even buses are now trying to negotiate theses roads instead of using the official routes."

She believes speed control measures will improve the situation and added:"If drivers are not going to consider the safety of the residents on these roads then the council and police need to take action to introduce traffic calming measures before a serious accident occurs."

A Warwickshire County Council spokesman explained temporary measures may be installed and said: "The current issues,with the increased traffic using residential streets in Kenilworth whilst the Severn Trent works are being undertaken, have been brought to our attention by both members of the public and county councillors.

"We would urge all drivers to respect the speed limits throughout the residential area and use designated diversion routes whilst the works are ongoing.

"We are working with councillors to utilise temporary flashing signs at locations where there have been adverse reports concerning drivers’ behaviour."