CAMPAIGNERS say it is only a matter of time before someone is killed unless steps are taken to cut vehicles’ speed in a hamlet are taken soon.

Activists from the A120 group Save Lives Not Time are calling on Highways England to take action after a serious three-vehicle crash in Surrex, east of Coggeshall.

After a serious four vehicle smash in Surrex, just east of Coggeshall, last Wednesday morning, activists from A120 campaign group Save Lives Not Time want Highways England to take action.

But they say they do not hold out much hope of action after the agency failed to return to the stretch of the A120 in Surrex to paint the word “slow” on the road surface after resurfacing works, which took place about a year ago, saw the word disappear.

A group spokesman said: “We’ve had people killed towards Coggeshall and Marks Tey and something has to be done otherwise it won’t be long before we have a fatality here.

“Cars come off the Coggeshall bypass, which is a 50mph speed limit and then suddenly you’re into a 60mph area in the hamlet and people either think it’s a dual carriageway or see it as an overtaking opportunity.

“We’ve told Highways about the slow signs because we want to help them out and make the road safer but they just don’t seem interested in what we have to say.”

“We’ve had lots of accidents where people slow to turn into their driveway and while the car immediately behind might slow down others fail to.”

Last week’s collision happened after a Colchester-bound car collided with an oncoming car. The Colchester-bound car then collided with a third car.

A Highways England spokesman said: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do.

“Our thoughts are with the people affected by the incident on the A120 near Coggeshall in Essex on March 28.

“However it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of this incident while police investigations may be ongoing.

We are aware that the ‘slow’ road markings on the A120 on the approaches to Surrex, near the location of the incident, need repainting. We have been planning to reinstate these markings in the area soon.”