ANGRY Tolladine residents have called for traffic calming measures to be installed after a four-year-old girl was injured in a collision with a car.

The Sycamore Road residents have described the incident, in which the girl suffered minor head and back injuries, as "an accident waiting to happen".

The youngster was taken by ambulance to Worcestershire Royal Hospital after the collision, which happened yesterday evening.

"She just walked out into the road as a car was coming," said one witness. "I think she was following her dad.

"I ran out of the house and a big group of people gathered round her and put a blanket over her."

The girl was conscious as she was taken to hospital - but residents fear it could be much worse next time.

"This road's a nightmare," said one concerned mother, Mary Davis. "Some cars just speed down this hill. They don't give a thought to the little children playing in the street.

"Kids are kids - they don't always look where they're going. This was an accident waiting to happen."

Mrs Davis said something had to be done to reduce the speed of the traffic on the road.

"We could do with speed bumps or a reduced speed limit," she said.

"A lot of people have children round here now. You can't always keep them in the garden.

"I'm frightened to death of my little one coming out here."

Traffic calming measures have been installed and reduced speed limits been imposed in surrounding areas.

Worcester City Council's senior engineer in transportation and traffic management, Tom Comerford, said the council had consulted Sycamore Road residents as part of the Safer Routes to School scheme.

"Sycamore Road wasn't identified as being a problem," he said. "I will speak to the police and get details of the accident, and if there are any treatable factors involved, we will look at what we can do."

Worcester police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.