by Hayley Robinson

Calls are being made to reduce the speed limit of a road after a fatal crash which cost two people their lives.

At a meeting of Bobbing Parish Council, villagers and councillors agreed something needs to be done about Sheppey Way, which they claim is a hot spot for accidents.

Parish clerk Sue Crawford says many drivers exceed the 60mph speed limit.

She has sent a letter to Kent County Council's Highways department asking that the road be reviewed to see whether the speed limit can be reduced or any work can be carried out to make it safer.

The move comes after Claire Mackinnon, 28, of High Street, Queenborough, died following a head-on crash with another vehicle travelling in the opposite direction on March 30.

The mum-of-one, who was driving a blue Ford Escort towards Key Street roundabout, died at the scene.

The driver of a red Ford Sierra, 18-year-old Kish Hulm, from Sittingbourne, was airlifted with spinal and head injuries to a hospital in Romford, where he died five days later.

His three male passengers were taken to Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham with non-life-threatening injuries.

A third car, a green Ford Focus, was also damaged in the collision.

The elderly couple were shaken but not injured.

Mrs Crawford said: "We don't know the circumstances of the accident and we cannot listen to gossip, but we feel the speed limit on that road is too high and people always tend to go faster along there.

"We did bring it up with Highways last August when we specifically asked for crash data statistics after a lorry tipped on its side near McDonald's, but it didn't show that it needed any remedial works then."

The survey reported back that there had been seven accidents with injuries in the area in the previous three years. But the council says this did not take into account the many incidents which do not require police action.

An inquest into the death of Miss Mackinnon was opened and adjourned on Thursday, April 7. A postmortem examination has also been carried our on Mr Hulm and an inquest opened and adjourned.