RETIRED teacher Chris Hill woke on Sunday to learn that two pedestrians had been killed outside his home on a stretch of road he’s campaigned to improve.

Mr Hill said: “There is a combination of factors that make it an inherently dangerous road and accidents have been happening for so long.

“There’s been a fatality this year and last year, somebody crashed into a tree and there have been vans and minis in the ditch.

“It’s crying out to be a 40mph limit all the way through. What’s that going to cost? Two signs at the roundabout?

“It’s what price you put on a life - or several lives.”

Mr Hill, who has lived in Wimblington Road, March, for more than two decades, said there had been dozens of accidents on the 60mph stretch of the route into March.

He wrote to Cambridgeshire County Council in February last year calling for a review of the speed limit.

Two months later he received a response which said: “Wimblington Road (B1101) is due to be reviewed shortly with any changes recommended to be implemented as and when staff time is available.”

The road has a 60mph limit for about half a mile before it drops to 40mph, and later 30mph, upon entering March.

Dominic (Dom) Iliffe, 24, of Boadicea Court, Chatteris, and James Kiely, 27, of Drew Road, Silverton, London, died in the early hours of Sunday, when they were in collision with a van on the 60mph stretch.

In March last year, 20-year-old cyclist Kristopher Dellaway, from Doddington, died after a collision with a car on the same stretch.

Mr Hill said that pedestrians, schoolchildren and runners often used the road, which has narrow pavement on one side.

“I just think it beggars belief that nothing has been done,” said Mr Hill. “The wing mirrors of big trucks are often not far from your head when you walk on the pavement.

“It seems that, unless you’re able to have a petition that’s signed by thousands of people nobody will come out, look at it and make a common sense decision.

“It’s a half a mile stretch of road. Even if you could accelerate and decelerate instantly you would only be saving 10 seconds on your journey. So why 60mph on a piece of road like that? It’s a bit of a no-brainer.

“If that was your son or daughter walking along that road then you would want the speed reduced. There’s no getting away from that.”