IT was extremely sad to read of the tragic death of Noel Wilkes as a result of a road accident in Evesham High Street.

I do not know the exact circumstances of this accident, but ever since the refurbishment of this road, I have been expecting to read about something like this.

How could anyone have thought it a good idea to place access slopes on the edge of the pavement without a refuge in the middle of the road?

People with pushchairs, wheelchair users, people with small children, people who have difficulty walking, people with shopping trolleys can all descend safely to street-level, and then do what?

Either they dice with death while trying (possibly quite slowly) to cross two lanes of traffic, or they wait in the gutter until a thoughtful driver gives way, but then they have to get into the middle of the first carriageway and hope that an equally aware driver is approaching from the other direction.

Not everyone is able-bodied enough, or willing, to nip athletically between vehicles.

I well remember the serious accident years ago on the A46 Evesham bypass, where the footpath along the route of Badsey Lane crosses it.

Only after this was a refuge was built, even though the footpath was signposted for the use of pedestrians and cyclists!

No doubt readers will often have seen walkers waiting beside another stretch of this same road, to the north of the B4035 roundabout.

Here there is another footpath, to Offenham, signposted on both sides of the A46, with no refuge (although the road is, as everyone knows, perfectly wide enough to accommodate one).

Do we have to wait for another tragic death before something is done about this?

Philippa Tennant

Badsey