WARNING signs and a new surface have been installed on a treacherous stretch of road where three people have lost their lives this year.

A two-kilometre distance of the B3400, including Scrapps Hill, between Worting and Newfound, has just undergone a safety transformation.

The move follows an incident there earlier this month when a 20-year-old man suffered life-threatening head injuries after his car spun out of control and hit a verge.

Hampshire County Council spokes-man Sarette Martin said: "The stretch of road has been surface dressed, which means it is sprayed with bitumen and a layer of stone chippings applied to reduce deterioration and improve skid resistance.

"Improved signage, including bend warning signs and marker posts around the bends, have also been installed and white lining on the carriageway was replaced after surface dressing."

Scrapps Hill was also the scene of an accident in March, in which a retired Oakley couple and a Basingstoke man died.

After this accident, the council sent workmen to paint markings outlining the sides of the road and then sent the safety engineering team to assess the road, leading to the implementation of the new traffic measures.

Jim Carty, chairman of the Newfound Traffic Action Group which has been campaigning for changes to the road, said: "Obviously it's not soon enough for the poor people who have died on that stretch of road but better late than never.

"We welcome what's been done but we still believe the speed limit needs to be reduced, because you come out of Basingstoke from Worting Road, there's a short period of a 30mph speed limit and then it goes straight to 60mph without even a gradual increase.

"What's happened along that road in the last 12 months has been tragic.

"It will be interesting to see what impact these changes have over the coming months and whether they do slow people down."