THE death of a Worcestershire woman could have been avoided if highways bosses had listened to the fears of residents living on the road where she died, the Evening News has been told.

Jean Cowell was killed on the B4503 between Leigh Sinton and Malvern when the car in which she was travelling was involved in a head-on collision on Monday, August 19.

Following a spate of accidents, people living alongside the road said they had warned police and the Highways Agency that someone would die.

The mile-long stretch is sandwiched between two 30mph areas, which the residents claim results in drivers "putting their foot down" to make up time.

Now they are demanding the whole area be classed as a 30mph limit.

Jill Harrison, who has had barriers put around her gas main to protect it from cars ploughing into her garden, said drivers regularly crashed through fences, hedges and gates along the road.

"People really stick their foot down along here, it's like a race track," she said.

"It's only luck that no one had been killed before this tragedy.

"We told the police of our fears when they attended accidents, but nothing was done."

Neighbour Valerie Lampitt claimed the Highways Agency told her the road was "not a problem".

"This is a very hazardous piece of road, people are always coming off it," she said.

"The Highways Agency said it wasn't aware of any problems on it because there hadn't been any fatalities. Now there has."

West Mercia Traffic Officer PC Mike Digger said all comments made to officers at accident scenes were taken into consideration during the investigation.

He also said that if the engineering was found to be a problem, the Highways Agency was automatically informed.

"Although we will not comment on any collision, it's possible to see that the incident has proved not to be due to road engineering problems," he said.

Nils Wilkes, maintenance manager for the Worcestershire highways partnership unit, said the implementation of extra traffic safety measures would depend on the findings of the police investigation.

"At present we have no official information relating to this matter," he said.

"Until we are in a position to study official reports we clearly cannot determine the best action to take. If proposals are put forward, then a consultation exercise would be undertaken involving the parish, district and county councillors."