A ROAD safety audit on a deadly stretch of the A120 will be completed within two weeks following pressure from campaigners.

The announcement comes after Tendring District Council (TDC) hosted round-table talks on Wednesday with representatives from the Highways Agency, police, fire and ambulance service and Essex County Council.

Four people have died in crashes at the junctions and changes to the road layout have made matters worse.

Highways chiefs yesterday confirmed a report outlining urgent measures to improve the Hare Green and Pellens Corner junctions in Tendring will be ready early next month.

Leader of TDC Peter Halliday said: “A safety audit into that stretch of road is now being brought forward and we will have a draft report within the next two weeks.

“We have scheduled another meeting with all the same people round the table for March 8 at Clacton Town Hall when we will look at what action needs to be taken in light of that audit.”

It was decided installing temporary traffic lights at the junctions would not be suitable as they could affect the audit.

“We have assurances that any recommendations coming out of the safety audit will be considered and acted upon as a matter of urgency,” Mr Halliday added.

Eric Cooper, Essex asset manager for the Highways Agency, said speed reduction, changes to the layout or traffic lights would be considered.

He said: “We need to have factual information and evidence in place before we act and I promise we will act quickly on any outcomes from the safety audit.

“I can assure you we are as concerned as anyone else but we need to come up with the right solution.”

According to the Department of Transport there have been 18 accidents at Pellens Corner since 2005 and 20 incidents in Hare Green over the same period.

One included a bus carrying school children which crashed and burst into flames. Fortunately nobody was injured.

During the meeting, which was held in Weeley, members heard that there had been three serious accidents and six other accidents since road safety measures were carried out last March.