New pedestrian bridge call after women hit by cars

Pedestrians have called for safety improvements on a town bridge, after two women were struck by cars in six months.

Teme Bridge links Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire and Burford in Shropshire, but residents have said it is too narrow for a growing population and traffic.

Worcestershire County Council said it was aware of the safety risk.

It was planning improved signage and road markings and said any plan for a separate pedestrian bridge was some years away.

Fiona Gittins said she was hit by a wing mirror while walking her daughter to school.

"I don't drive, my daughter has to cross the bridge to get to school. I work at the school. I have literally no other way of getting across the river to the school," she told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"I really, really wish something could get sorted as soon as possible," she added.

Tenbury councillor David Chambers met highways officials to discuss improvements.

Mr Chambers acknowledged that a new pedestrian bridge would take years to approve and finance.

But he said the council had agreed to better signs and road markings, and would carry out a feasibility study into widening the existing carriageway.

"My recommendation is that we remove the footpath on the left-hand side of the bridge as you travel from Tenbury to Burford," he said.

A higher kerb on the remaining pavement would make it impossible for vehicles to mount the footpath.

District councillor Andrew Willmott said a separate bridge for walkers would enable the carriageway to be widened as "we could stop pedestrians actually using the bridge".

"Long-term, in common with other towns like Bridgnorth, we ought to think about a bypass and second bridge," he added.

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