A BEWDLEY resident whose house was hit by a bus is worried that a child could be struck next if the busy road is not made safer for pedestrians.

Chris Tappenden, of Welch Gate, said pedestrians were in constant danger walking up and down the pavement by the narrow road out of the town centre because of the high volume of traffic using it.

Earlier this month, a bus hit the front of his house and Mr Tappenden said although no-one was hurt, damage was caused to the front door frame, window frame, brickwork and the bus's wing mirror went through a window.

He said the seriousness of the problem was highlighted several minutes later, when his neighbour walked past with his young daughter. He felt if they had walked past any earlier, the incident could have been a lot worse.

The 37-year-old said: "The traffic is constant. We constantly get vehicles mounting the pavements. People are affected by it every day of the week. A lot of the time, you see pedestrians with their backs pinned against the wall.

"Somebody needs to make a suggestion about how the road can be made safer. My concern is for public safety."

Bewdley town councillor and Worcestershire county councillor, Nigel Knowles, who lives in Welch Gate, said he wanted the county council to treat the issue as a matter of urgency, adding: "People take their lives in their hands when they walk up Welch Gate.

"It is extremely dangerous. We need traffic lights to allow traffic to go up or down Welch Gate one way at a time or another way of controlling the traffic so it is not two-way."

John Campion, county council member for Bewdley, said: "It is unfortunate that Welch Gate is constricted by the very beautiful buildings which means there are difficulties for pedestrians."

He said he was working with safety officers to see what improvements could be made but stressed they may not be instant solutions.

He added: "We want to make sure any scheme that is funded by the council tax payers is the right scheme and has sustainability."

Andy Broome, of the Highways Partnership, said: "There is a significant amount of traffic that comes down. Without restricting access any further, you can't make it any safer."

He added he was not aware of any proposals to make it one-way, adding: "It would create a lot of local diversions for people, as you have got traffic going to Kinlet and Button Oak, which needs to come through Bewdley and access this road."

Stephen Zanker, regional spokesman for First Group, confirmed the accident had taken place and said it was being investigated.

Carole Thatcher, spokeswoman for Worcestershire County Council, said: "We are aware of the issues and it has been highlighted in the LTP 2 - Local Transport Plan. We are currently looking into some suitable schemes."