Residents of Weasenham near Fakenham have launched a road safety campaign following a fatal road crash and numerous accidents in the village.

Robert Winner, from Sporle, died at the age of 25 from injuries he suffered in a crash on the A1065 Swaffham to Fakenham road on January 20.

Fears of future such incidents have prompted residents to call for urgent safety measures. They want the speed limit in the village, which is currently 60mph, lowered and signs to be more visible.

Campaigners are sending a petition with approximately 100 names on to the Highways department of Norfolk County Council and have sent a letter to Broadland MP Keith Simpson, asking him to help fight their cause.

An on-line petition has also been setup and this can be seen at http://epetition.norfolk.public-i.tv/epetition_core/view/weasenham

Headmistress of Weasenham Primary School, Sue Lunnun, said: 'Weasenham is a Church of England school, and we like to use both of the churches in the village equally, but it is so dangerous to walk the children between Weasenham St. Peter and the school. If the speed limit was lowered it would be safer, and parents would not be deterred from walking or biking to school.'

Many parents taking their children to the school and pre-school choose to travel by car as they are too afraid to walk along the pavement due to the speed of oncoming vehicles using the road.

One parent Fiona Unick-Wagg said: 'Walking over to the church is absolutely dreadful.

'We wear the safety florescents and try and get motorists to slow down, but they seem oblivious to a large group of children walking along the road. Lots of lorries use the road, and you can physically feel yourself being buffeted around when they pass.'

Children of the school and pre-school must walk along or cross the road to use the facilities of both churches, one directly opposite and the other half a mile down the road.

The road runs in a straight stretch in between a number of bends either side of the village. There is some signage already present by the school, but campaigners say drivers are still overtaking, sometimes recklessly, and driving well over the national speed limit.

Chairman of Wesenham Pre-School, John Crawley said: 'We want to see some restrictions and signs placed along this stretch of road, warning drivers that there are likely to be pedestrians using it. The 60mph speed limit is far too high and needs to be reduced.

The 1.2km stretch of highway through the community of Weasenham has six junctions, two exits to private homes, also exits to a Public House School and Pre-School, and is the main direct route to Fakenham to Swaffham.

There have been five accidents on the stretch since May 2010, four of which being head on collisions whilst overtaking at speed.