A PENSIONER was killed and another seriously injured in a crash in north Norfolk at the weekend, prompting angry calls from villagers and an MP for better safety on the road.

A PENSIONER was killed and another seriously injured in a crash in north Norfolk at the weekend, prompting angry calls from villagers and an MP for better safety on the road.

The accident happened on Sunday afternoon on the A1151 at Smallburgh, near Stalham, at the junction with Church Road at 1.51pm.

On Tuesday it emerged a woman passenger in her 80s, from Hainford, died as a result of injuries received in the crash when the Jaguar S Type she was travelling in collided with a Chrysler PT Cruiser moving in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Jaguar, an elderly woman also from Hainford, received serious leg and chest injuries.

Following the accident villagers living along the road reacted angrily and vowed to write to their MP Norman Lamb to ask for help to ensure the road is made safer.

Ray Gates, who lives near the accident scene, said he knew at the time the accident had been serious because the air ambulance had been at the scene for almost three hours, but did not know it had been fatal until Tuesday.

He said the news that there had been a death made their calls for action even more urgent.

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb said he was shocked to hear of yet another accident on the road and was keen to work with villagers on their campaign.

He said: 'There have been far too many accidents along this road and whenever this happens we have got to understand why it's happened and what lessons are to be

learned.'

Mr Gates said a successful campaign a few years ago to get 50mph signs put up had not stopped drivers speeding along the road.

He said: 'You take your life in your own hands when you pull out onto the A1151. People are still crashing past at 70, 80 or even 90mph. There have been a lot of serious casualties and we are fed up with it. Something's got to be done. It's awful, really awful.'

The accident saw the road blocked off as firefighters from Stalham, Sprowston and Wroxham took about an hour to free the crash victims.

Norfolk County Council said the accident record between Hoveton and Smallburgh was 'not unusually high' with 28 crashes, four of them serious and one fatal between May 2004 and April this year.

Nev Calder, principal engineer in the county's Casualty Reduction Partnership said a safety review had already seen �47,000 worth of improvements to markings and signs.

And in October average speed cameras would be installed from Cat's Common on the A1151 to Potter Heigham on the A149.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident. Anyone with information should contact PC Michael Robertson on 0845 456

4567.