Call for action after couple die in crossing crash

The couple and their dog were pronounced dead at the scene, West Mercia Police said

A coroner has asked for visibility to be improved on a road where a couple died while out with their dog.

Paul Morris, 70, and his wife Alison, 57, had been on holiday in Herefordshire when they were struck by a motorcyclist while crossing the A44, outside Kington.

The police told an inquest the motorcyclist was travelling at or below the speed limit and the pair had been following a recognised footpath.

Coroner Mark Bricknell said the curve of the road and overhanging foliage made the crossing they used hard to spot, with no road signage from the Leominster direction to warn motorists.

In a Prevention of Future Accidents, external report, Mr Bricknell said "consideration" must be given by the local authority and its contractor to the overhanging plants, the position of safety barriers and the location of the crossing at Crooked Well, near Kington.

He added Herefordshire Council should consider the speed of traffic on the stretch of road and the level of signage.

In response, the council said it had cut back the foliage and would add it to a list of locations that receive "enhanced maintenance" in future.

It also said it would soon consult on the possibility of lowering the speed limit on the road to 50mph and review the need for warning signs for motorists.

But the authority added it had no plans to change the location of the crossing and believed a guard rail to be a sufficient safety measure for users.

Both the council and its contractor, Balfour Beatty, noted the crossing had not previously been on a list of accident sites.

The contractor also said inspections carried out in the months prior to the deaths saw "no actionable defects" raised.

It said it was talking to the council about cutting back plants and trees to increase sight lines to 160m (524ft).