EVERY time the A36 notches up another fatality, pubs along the notorious stretch of road feel the pinch as terrified drivers stay away.

Jeni and Aart Noordijk, landlords at Plaitford's Shoe Inn, have told how they repeatedly warn drinkers leaving the pub about the dangers of the deadly road, just yards from the front door.

They say the pub becomes eerily quiet after each nasty crash as fearful drivers find alternative routes.

And in 2001, when two men died trying to cross the road on the way to the Shoe Inn, customers simply stopped coming in.

The couple are now joining pub regulars to back the Daily Echo's campaign for better safety measures along the road.

It was launched following a tragic double fatality further along the road in the neighbouring village of West Wellow on Tuesday.

Winifred Lock, 84, and Mortimer O'Sullivan, also 84, were both patients at the Countess Mountbatten Hospice in West End.

They were returning from a day trip with 12 other people on a minibus when it was in collision with a lorry. Six other vehicles were involved.

Our petition, which will be sent to Romsey MP Sandra Gidley, who will then present it in Parliament, has been passed around the pub collecting scores of signatures

Jeni said: "Every time there's another accident, people stop using the A36. It takes a while for things to get back to normal. We lose business when that happens.

"We lost a lot of business after the deaths of Tommy and Terry Castle in 2001. People wrongly assumed they were coming out of the pub and we had been irresponsible in selling them more drink. We always tell our customers to be careful of the road when they leave."

The Noordijks, who have run the pub for more than four years, say they've both had cars smashed into while trying to turn off the A36 - and another pub regular was shunted by a lorry just a few weeks ago.

"That's three accidents in the past six months," said Aart. "You're waiting for someone to run into the back of you every time you turn in or out of the road."

He said Plaitford was the only village lining the whole road - which goes as far as Bristol - without a 40mph speed limit.

If you want to join the Echo campaign to stop the carnage on Hampshire's most dangerous road, sign the petition and send it to Mrs Gidley's Romsey office.

POLICE are trying to trace the occupants of a yellow car transporter, which was heading towards Salisbury at the time of the crash, who may hold vital clues about Tuesday's crash.

The accident happened at around 3.20pm near the junction with Blackhill Road, West Wellow. Anyone with information should call 0845 045 4545 and ask for officers working on Operation Callaghan.