SAFETY campaigners are celebrating after it was announced that improvements to a roundabout labelled by motorists as 'suicide island' are expected to start in 2003.

The Highways Agency has said that work to improve drivers' safety and reduce the number of accidents at the A46 Salford Priors roundabout will begin in February next year.

The announcement follows a report carried out in 2001, which found that the roundabout had seen an unexpectedly "high proportion of accidents resulting in serious injury", cataloguing seven accidents between 1995 and 2000.

Five of which resulted in serious injury, none of the people involved in the accidents were given breath tests, and all but one of the collisions happened in dry weather.

Recommendations drawn up from the report included better signing on the approach to the roundabout, moving the kerb to force drivers to slow down more and adding road markings.

Highways Agency route sponsor Bob Bilbie said the work was likely to take between four to six weeks and begin with the kerb realignment, which will force drivers to slow down on the approach.

"We will also be putting some planting in the centre reserve to cut down the visibility, because we found drivers were making their decisions too quickly and there will be yellow bar markings which get closer together on the approach, giving the impression of speed."

Campaigner Doug Wathen said: "All I hope is that the work they do will be adequate. The design of the roundabout as it stands is a disaster. I am pleased we've got somewhere, but we will have to wait and see if this is the solution."

Parish council clerk Eric Mitchell said the announcement came as "welcome news". He added: "We're pleased to know that at last there is something going to be done."