Safety work pledge on dangerous bend

A notorious bend on a Black Country road where cars have skidded into houses is to be completely resurfaced.

Anti-skid materials will be laid along a stretch of Hawes Lane in Rowley Regis.

Residents have suffered from dozens of car accidents in recent years on the same stretch of road. Nearly £50,000 will be spent on the 200 yard stretch between Stanford Drive and St Giles Avenue to make it safe following years of complaints from homeowners.

Last month a Citroen C2 smashed through the living room of one home near to the junction with St Lukes Close leaving a gaping hole in the wall.

Homeowner Kevin Priest was upstairs at the time with his two children. Earlier that same day another car wiped out a bush in their front garden.

The dramatic scenes had taken place less than a year after Mr Priest's next-door-neighbour Melvin Goode had suffered similar damage when a vehicle ploughed through the front of his house. Mr Goode, 59, has seen at least 40 accidents in the 30 years he had lived there. A lamp post has been recently removed after being regularly knocked down by motorists.

Mr Priest's wife Liz, aged 49, who works in retail, said: "It's not enough, we could also do with some speed humps along the road to slow the drivers. I still think we need to push the council for more."

Sandwell Council is now planning to spend £47,000 to make the road safer.

Temporary anti-skid measures have now been installed which have already seen a reduction in the number of accidents and permanent work will be carried out in September.

Neighbourhoods chief Councillor Mahboob Hussain said the action followed a number of accidents.