CUT the red tape, warn campaigners, or more lives will be lost.

As scores of drivers sign up to the Daily Echo's A36 Stop the Carnage campaign, road bosses have been given a stark warning to end the bureaucracy and take action.

Residents along the notorious A36 have been battling for years to tighten up safety measures on the stretch, which claimed the lives of two elderly people on Tuesday.

Now the Echo can reveal that government bureaucracy and regional in-fighting behind the scenes is delaying crucial work.

The issue hinges on a complex process known as de-trunking. If a road is de-trunked, responsibility is handed over from the Highways Agency to local government, such as Hampshire County Council.

Crucially, de-trunking triggers a whole raft of safety improvements because the new authority would not want to take over a sub-standard road.

But for the A36, the process has been halted until a 12-month government study is finished.

And even after its completion next month, highways bosses have admitted the control switch could still be a long way off.

"The process of de-trunking the A36 has begun," said a Highways Agency spokesman. "It's quite far advanced but has been delayed subject to the outcome of a report by the Bristol and Bath government office.

"Even after the result I don't know whether de-trunking is ever immediate."

The study began when a squabble broke out between Hampshire authorities and those further to the west.

Hampshire County Council wanted to see the A36 de-trunked, but transport bosses in Bristol and Bath disagreed.

The year-long South West Government Office report was looking at future management of the road - but has held up crucial safety work in Wellow, where this week's tragic accident occurred.

The delay has angered Romsey's MP, Sandra Gidley, who hit out at paper-shuffling bureaucrats.

"It seems stark staring bonkers that this road cannot be split somehow, and our section de-trunked. We're at the mercy of a completely different region of England.

"The future of this road and the safety of my constituents is governed by the Government Office for the South West."

To back the Daily Echo's campaign to rid the road of its chilling reputation, fill in the petition and send it to Mrs Gidley, who has agreed to present the final dossier to Tony Blair.