The soaring numbers of road accidents in mid-Essex has caused West Chelmsford MP Simon Burns to write to roads minister David Jamieson MP expressing concern and asking what can be done.

In a written parliamentary answer recently Mr Burns was told 20 people have been killed in accidents in the Chelmsford borough so far this year and 15 in Braintree.

Mr Burns said he was gravely concerned at what he called the tragic increase in deaths and injuries on the county's roads this year compared with the previous three years.

"The most recent figures make for grim reading," he said. "In the first nine months of 2001 there have been 35 fatalities in mid-Essex and almost as many injuries as in the whole of 1999, which was the worst year for injuries and deaths in the last three years.

"Road deaths in mid-Essex are already over 50 per cent more than the total number of fatalities last year.

"This disturbing upward trend is of particular concern to me. Indeed, I am so concerned about this problem that I have written to the minister for roads seeking advice as to how to remove this tragic trend."

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