TRAFFIC was blocked after fallen branches caused two accidents on one of Worcestershire's most notorious stretches of road.

Debris was blown from a tree on to the A449 yesterday afternoon, causing a BMW to swerve into the central reservation on one carriageway and two cars to collide on the other.

Both incidents happened within 200 yards of each other, before the Ombersley turn off, at around 3.10pm.

The road was blocked in both directions for an hour, while police cleared the debris. Ambulances were also called to the scene but nobody was injured in either incident.

The stretch of the road has seen 34 other collisions and claimed three lives in the past five years. The Highways Agency has allocated £300,000 for work on the southbound carriageway.

In another incident, near Webbs of Wychbold garden centre at 4.50pm yesterday, one car slid off the road and the driver was taken to The Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Redditch.

Road safety plan 'will do nothing'

AFTER months of campaigning for road-safety measures Ombersley residents were finally able to see what the Highways Agency has in store for a notorious accident black-spot near Droitwich - and they are still not happy.

Over the last five years, the stretch of the A449 between Claines and Ombersley has seen 28 slight accidents, six serious collisions and claimed the lives of three people.

A petition signed by 415 people was handed to the chief executive of the Highways Agency earlier this year calling for action on the dual carriageway - but the safety scheme that is now in the pipeline has done nothing to quell their fears.

The Highways Agency has allocated £300,000 for six weeks of work on the south-bound carriageway, which is due to start next February.

Sections of the road will be altered to provide a consistent camber to the carriageway across both lanes and associated drainage works will be carried out to remove surface water. At the approach to the Claines roundabout, there will be anti-skid surfacing and - subject to authorisation - yellow-bar countdown markings.

But Bill Arnold, chairman of Ombersley and Doverdale Parish Council, said he believed the scheme was a waste of money.

"People wanted to see speed restrictions put in place," he said.

"This will do nothing to help people pulling out of the side roads as it will not deter road users who ignore the speed limit.

"In my opinion it is only going to make the road faster."