Calls are mounting for safety improvements along a busy road where a 20-year-old woman was killed last month.

Fenella Hawes died on the A149 between Wayford Bridge and Stalham after being hit by a car on July 31, this year.

More than 40 people gathered in a layby off the road to voice their concerns about the carriageway - and call for changes to be made.

Julie Platts is one of the organisers of a petition calling on the county council to take action. More than 1,100 people have already signed the petition.

Mrs Platts said: "There have been several really nasty tragedies and accidents along this stretch of road and people just don’t feel safe.

North Norfolk News: Julie Platts, left, and Venetia Page are among the Stalham/Wayford area residents calling for the A149 to be made safer.Julie Platts, left, and Venetia Page are among the Stalham/Wayford area residents calling for the A149 to be made safer. (Image: Stuart Anderson)

"They’re scared to come out of their junctions, they’re scared to turn, they’re using different parts of the village as rat runs, trying to avoid using the A149."

Mrs Platts said they wanted the council to assess how to make the road safer.

North Norfolk News: Residents of the Stalham/Wayford area calling for the A149 to be made safer.Residents of the Stalham/Wayford area calling for the A149 to be made safer. (Image: Stuart Anderson)

Venetia Page, another nearby resident, said she thought the road had got busier since the opening of Broadland Northway, also known as the NDR, in April 2018.

She said navigation apps such as Google Maps now tended to route people going from the west of Norwich to Potter Heigham and other spots to the east of the city via Stalham, rather than Acle.

"When you're coming out of a driveway at 0mph on to two lanes where it's 50mph, before you can pull away you've already got someone behind you," Ms Page said.

Kevin Bayes, Stalham's mayor, said: "I think we’ve been quite clear that something needs to be done.

"We know that whatever we do it’s going to be an expense. But every day there are risks being taken by traffic getting onto the A149."

Norfolk County Council has declined to say whether it would carry out an assessment of the road.

A council spokesperson said: “Safety on our roads is one of our top priorities, and we review speed limits, signage, and road markings to ensure that all our roads are as safe as possible.

"It is because of this review process that we have a 50mph average speed limit in place along this stretch of the A149. We continue to monitor this and other roads.”