HIGHWAYS chiefs say they are monitoring whether the installation of extra traffic lights are preventing crashes at a city centre accident blackspot.

There were calls for changes after a major crash at the junction of Sansome Street, Shaw Street and Foregate Street last April.

An Audi and a bus collided, with the latter mounting the pavement and crashing through a railing barrier, taking down a pelican crossing lights pillar.

The incident followed a string of crashes at the junction in recent years, including in July 2016 when firefighters had to cut a casualty free from the wreckage of a vehicle, and in January of that year when four people were injured in a similar collision.

In both those incidents, cars crashed through A-Plan Insurance’s office, on the corner at the junction, with the firm’s window having to be replaced and the building’s structure assessed.

After the crashes James Parker, branch manager of the insurance firm, said he feared it was just a matter of time before someone was seriously injured and that something needed to be done to make the junction safer.

He suggested installing metal barriers to stop vehicles mounting the pavements.

Worcester News reader Laura Bowke was another to call for action. She said someone crashed into her car, writing the vehicle off, at that junction after she was forced to slam on her brakes when a driver jumped a red light.

Yesterday a Worcestershire County Council spokesman said an extra traffic light was installed in the central reservation at that junction following the crash in April 2018.

“A full safety assessment was carried out by the county council together with West Mercia Police following a road traffic collision along Foregate Street in April last year.

"An additional traffic signal head in the central reservation was placed on Foregate Street last year to improve visibility of the signalised junction.

“We can confirm the changes remain under monitoring.”