MORE than 200 people have been killed or injured on a single Worcestershire road in the past three years.

The grim figure was revealed today after a crackdown on speeding along the A44, which runs through Worcester, Pershore and Evesham.

It was part of a West Mercia force-wide drive to make speeding as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.

Nearly 100 people lost their lives on roads in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire last year, and 909 were seriously injured. Two people died in accidents on the A44.

But in the past three years there have been seven deaths, 56 serious injuries and 182 walking wounded on the stretch between Worcester and Broadway's Fish Hill.

In the latest crackdown, earlier this month, teams of officers blitzed speed hotspots around the force area every day for a fortnight, stopping 300 vehicles.

Among other notorious speeding locations visited were Ombersley, Hallow, Leigh Sinton and Kempsey.

Tickets were issued to 160 cars, 20 motorcycles, and 21 commercial vehicles, while the crackdown also resulted in the arrest of six disqualified drivers, three people wanted on outstanding warrants, three drug arrests, and seizure of stolen goods.

Ten car drivers were issued with court summonses along with two motorcyclists - one clocked doing 118mph down Fish Hill.

Worcestershire County Council has recently installed two new signs on the hill that tell motorists when they are speeding by displaying "too fast" and "slow down" alternately.

Speed enforcement cameras are also included in the package of measures, which aim to reduce accidents.

Sgt John Roberts, West Mercia's head of road safety, hailed the campaign - which also involved using the latest police video cars - a success.

"There were 4,563 speed-related incidents last year and our target is to reduce that by 40 per cent," he said.

"Speed is coming down slowly and this is credit to the authorities who've brought new speed limits into communities.

"We were stopping an average of one in 10 drivers, but the message gets out.

"We want to make speeding socially unacceptable, like drink-driving."

Sgt Roberts said arrests of disqualified drivers and those wanted on outstanding warrants proved the campaign had a positive effect on all crime.