A woman in her 20s has become the sixth fatality on the region's roads in as many days after being killed in a crash with a tractor on the A11 at Wymondham.

The silver Fiat Fiorino van she was driving was in a crash with a red and black Case Quadtrack tractor shortly after 3.50pm yesterday on the Norwich-bound carriageway just before the turning for the B1135.

The driver of the tractor, which was towing ploughing equipment, escaped shaken but uninjured, but the van driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The road was closed for several hours while investigations were conducted into the circumstances of the crash. It re-opened at aout 8.45pm.

Norfolk police today appealed for witnesses from anyone who saw the crash, or has information about the driving manner of either vehicle beforehand.

The tragedy came less than 24 hours after two women, one on her mid 70s and one in her 80s, were died after a crash near the Castle Rising slip road on the A149 on Wednesday evening. They were in a blue Peugeot 107 which was involved in a crash with a blue Vauxhall Astra at about 5pm.

The driver of the Vauxhall, a man in his 40s, is currently in a stable condition in hospital with a suspected broken leg.

West Norfolk Council councillors for Castle Rising, Nick Daubney and Elizabeth Nockolds, have both expressed sadness at the tragedy.

Mrs Nockolds said: 'I was absolutely shocked at the seriousness of the accident, when I heard the news. There was an accident a little while ago there, although it was not a fatal. I don't know if the county council needs to look at that junction/slip road.'

Mr Daubney said his heart went out to the victims.

Three further casualties have been claimed by the roads since last weekend.

Between 7pm last Sunday and 7am on Monday morning, young couple Katie Louise Rowland, 17, and Daniel Eyres, 21, died when their green Mini Cooper came off the road on Severalls Road, in Methwold Hythe.

And the day before, on August 13, a woman in her 90s died from injuries sustained in a collision with a grey VW Golf as she was walking in Holt High Street shortly after midday on August 9.

Police and crime commissioner for Norfolk Lorne Green said of the incidents: 'Any fatality or casualty on our roads is a matter for grave concern.

'I have pledged to do what I can to address the issue of road safety and I am hoping this autumn to revitalise a road safety campaign and education programme. With high-performance vehicles, road congestion and the number of commercial vehicles on our roads, whether deliveries or farm machinery, it has created a potentially dangerous mix, which is all the more reason we must drive defensively – be aware of our surroundings and the actions of other drivers.

'The circumstances of these incidents have to be looked at individually and we must not draw any premature conclusions. If there are patterns, we can take corrective actions.'

Anyone with any information about the incidents on the A11 or A149 should contact the serious collision investigation team at Wymondham Police Investigation Centre on non-emergency number 101.