NEARLY 1,000 residents have signed a petition calling for a pavement to be installed on a Hampshire street where two people have been seriously injured in the past eight months.

People living in Marchwood say they fear someone will be killed on the road unless safety measures for pedestrians are installed as soon as possible.

Though residents have been calling for a pavement on the street for years, their demands have increased after two serious accidents on the stretch of road running outside the Pilgrim Inn pub on Hythe Road since November last year.

In November Wendy Bennett, of Drake Close, was walking home from the pub when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver, leaving her with severe head and face injuries.

Eight months later another Marchwood resident, Tom Sherlock, 67, was also hit by a car as he walked the 200m back to his home in Hythe Road.

The accident left him with two broken hips, a broken leg and a shattered ankle. Following the last incident, residents decided to start a petition urging Hampshire County Council to install a pavement along the road.

Mike Rich, who helped to collect names for the petition, said: "We have now collected 926 names on the petition and this morning handed it over to the parish council to pass on to Hampshire County Council.

"We are delighted with the response and hope the council understands just how dangerous this road is and how urgently we need a pavement or walkway."

Meanwhile Wendy Bennett said: "The lack of a footpath down by the pub is crazy and extremely dangerous. We have now had two serious accidents down the stretch of road where pedestrians have been hit by vehicles. What is it going to take to get a pavement put down - is someone going to have to die first?

"It's a dangerous bit of road and we shouldn't have to put up with it. It still makes me nervous walking along it and I just hope HCC will listen to residents' views and act."

A spokeswoman for Hampshire County Council said: "We'd recommend they submit the petition to the county council, as the lack of a footway has already been drawn to our attention.

"Although it does not currently feature in any of our programmes it could be considered for feasibility and could develop from here."