Earlier this year, more than 1,000 residents signed our petition to make Worth Road safer after the community was rocked by three serious crashes on the road which left one elderly pedestrian dead and another two seriously injured.

On Monday, West Sussex County Council unveiled plans to put in pedestrian refuges and a traffic island to improve crossings on the road.

The same day, Sussex Safer Roads Partnership announced it would be placing a speed camera at the point where great-grandmother Winifred Wilson was died after a collision with a car on December 12 last year.

Campaigners welcomed the news but said it still fell short of their main demands, which are the removal of the double filter lane from Worth Park Avenue, and a second set of pedestrian crossing lights.

Joanne Emery, the granddaughter of Winifred Wilson, said: "That's good news. The major thing as far as I'm concerned is that it needs a pedestrian crossing.

"But hopefully this will make the road a bit safer for the elderly."

But John Wallsgrove, whose dad Ronnie spent months recovering from serious injuries after being hit further down the road, said: "Obviously I'm pleased they're taking some steps, but it's not nearly enough.

"I won't stop with this until they've sorted out the turn off at the top of the road."

West Sussex County Council had originally said it would not look at improvements until the 2011/2012 financial year, but brought the proposals forward after campaigners expressed outrage and leader Henry
Smith intervened.

But now consultation into the improvements is due to begin, and Cllr Smith said the works would be given the 'highest priority'.

He said: "I believe it important that Worth Road has been given high priority and I now look forward to the works being complete within the next 12 months.

"I'm optimistic we can encourage a change of behaviour to those drivers that continue to put themselves and others at risk on Worth Road."

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