FOUR crashes in the space of three months have prompted villagers to renew calls for road improvements at a notorious accident blackspot.

Following the latest crash last Monday at Callow Hill crossroads, near Brinkworth, which saw one person taken to hospital and the B4042 closed, residents are lobbying MP James Gray and Wiltshire Council for better signs, road markings and a reduction in the speed limit.

The stretch of road has a grim history. In 2003 a woman was killed when her car was hit by a roadsweeper that had collided with a lorry. Less than a year later a man died in a head-on crash.

Vehicles have also left the road and landed in residents’ gardens over the years.

A 50mph speed limit was introduced along much of the road between Malmesbury and Royal Wootton Bassett, but some residents want it reduced to 40mph around Callow Hill – the same as it is for the eastern end of Brinkworth.

Farmer Kate Gardner who has to walk her daughter to the school bus stop nearby, said: “It’s a very, very dangerous road.”

One crash happened behind her just after she had turned into the road.

Most of the road markings at the crossroads were missing and many drivers seemed unaware of children crossing to catch school buses.

“The whole thing needs to be reviewed and people’s opinions need to be considered,” she said.

“I understand all these things cost lots of money, but if you just take the latest incident – an ambulance car, a full size ambulance, two fire engines, two police cars, highways had to come and clean up and a person was taken to hospital.

“Would a sign be cheaper than having all that for one incident?”

Eddie Woodgate, who was in his garden close by and heard last week’s crash, rushed to the scene fearing it might be his wife, who had just gone out.

He said: “They need to slow the cars down and they need to get the markings right.”

Joe Hockham said the whole route between the bridge at Royal Wootton Bassett and the crossroads was a problem.

“There have been accidents all along that stretch, the tip is an accident waiting to happen as cars are travelling along that road very quickly towards Wootton Bassett and with slow lorries pulling out something is bound to happen,” he said.

Large sections of road surface were also missing from under the bridge.

“For some reason Wiltshire Council have washed their hands of the road from Wootton Bassett up to the accident hotspot of the crossroads,” he said.

Parish councillors had a site meeting with highways engineers in February after raising the issue with Wiltshire Council and temporary signs were installed last week.

They have been told re-surfacing, road markings and manhole cover adjustments are due to start from April and that further safety recommendations will be put before the community area transport group in June.

The issue is expected to be on the agenda at the next parish council meeting on April 18.