SCORES of concerned residents have signed a petition in a bid for two roundabouts on a busy dual carriageway near Bromsgrove -- while a £100,000 junction closing scheme designed to help reduce accidents remains buried in red tape.

Fairfield Post Office postmaster Nick Brown launched the petition following the latest fatal accident on the A491 dual carriageway between Hagley and the village.

So far 174 people have put their name to the appeal, which calls for two islands to be installed at the Belbroughton and Clent junctions, which are notorious accident blackspots.

Mr Brown has now written to Bromsgrove's Tory MP Julie Kirkbride and Worcestershire County Council's head of legal services, Simon Mallinson, asking for their support.

He said: "After the recent fatality we needed to do something to stop this unnecessary loss of life, so we organised a petition.

"It has been greatly supported and shows local people, who are most at risk from speed on the road, want something done.

"We strongly believe traffic calming islands would be by far the best solution to ending these awful and unnecessary deaths."

In March 1999 the 'A491 -- What Price Lives?' committee was formed following the announcement of a plan by Worcestershire Highways Partnership in Bromsgrove to close the right turns off the road at Belbroughton and Clent.

ON HOLD

It launched a petition calling for roundabouts and collected more than 1,500 signatures.

The troubled scheme is currently on hold while the partnership waits to hear whether 42 protesters will withdraw their objections following a public consultation earlier this year.

Partnership manager Jon Fraser said: "I will be pleased to receive the petition as it is an important issue."