By Liz HearnshawA FRESH glimmer of hope has been offered to residents fighting for a speed camera along a busy stretch of road that has claimed the lives of three people in as many years.

By Liz Hearnshaw

A FRESH glimmer of hope has been offered to residents fighting for a speed camera along a busy stretch of road that has claimed the lives of three people in as many years.

Residents of Great Barton said only the installation of a speed camera would help end the carnage on the A143, but have been told by officials there have not been enough serious accidents there to justify the move.

But David Ruffley, the Bury St Edmunds MP, who has backed the calls for action, insisted the area did meet the requirements for a speed camera to be installed as there had been four fatal or serious injury collisions there during the past three years.

“The blackspot at Great Barton calls out for a camera solution,” said Mr Ruffley, who has collected a petition demanding action.

“It has now come to my attention that the figures for the area do, after all, meet the guidelines of four killed or seriously injured in the three previous years on a 1km stretch of road.

“I have today written to the Suffolk Safety Camera Partnership to ask them to confirm that this data is correct and that it is not the case, as has been claimed, that there have not been enough serious accidents to justify a camera in this area.”

Calls for improvements along the A143 were made in January after Charles and Jillian Macready were seriously injured following a horrendous crash. After spending several months in hospital and undergoing major surgery, the couple returned to their home in Stanton in March.

Derek Firth, chairman of Great Barton Parish Council, said: “Suffolk County Council has already started to make improvements on the road and is fitting flashing 'Slow Down' signs, but people tend to ignore them.

“These signs are advisory rather than mandatory and unless there is any way of enforcement, there is no point putting them up. The money would be better spent on a permanent camera.”

Michelle Finnerty, a spokeswoman for Suffolk Safety Camera Partnership, said: “We will investigate the matter when we receive Mr Ruffley's letter and will respond directly to him.”

liz.hearnshaw@eadt.co.uk