A petition has been set up to improve a dangerous longabout.

Colney Heath Parish Councillor Margaret Nash set up the petition in an attempt to try and get Hertfordshire County Council to improve the safety of drivers on the A414 longabout near Colney Heath.

Work has been completed by the county council on this stretch of road including traffic light trials and clearing vegetation within the central island but Cllr Nash and others believe urgent work needs to take place.

Cllr Nash said: "I set up the petition because I believe it is time to get the work done. This should be a high priority case for the county council.

"I know two young drivers who avoid the longabout because they hate driving on it. The county council is doing some work on the area but this is not the solution.

"There needs to be traffic lights and a cut through on the longabout. After the county council elections in May we will be presenting the petition to the new county councillor for Colney Heath and Marshalswick."

According to a report published by Hertfordshire County Council in January they recommend to 'instal permanent full-time traffic signal control at the centre of the longabout junction with new carriageway route constructed through the centre of the junction opposite the High Street arm of the longabout.'

Her daughter Corrine Nash has also backed her mother's campaign and said the work needs to be completed urgently as it is a 'life or death' junction.

She said: "Apparently the reason no designs for a longabout have been done is because they are waiting to see what the outcome is on the rail freight terminal.

"This should not be the case. The decision on the freight terminal could not be decided for years. This longabout is a life of death junction. There have been lots of fatalities and accidents.

"Something needs to be done now to stop more accidents happening."

The petition, which is calling for the Highways department to install traffic lights and carriageway alterations, already has more than 1,000 signatures meaning it will be taken to Hertfordshire County Council to discuss the longabout.

Speaking on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council Rebecca Cussens said: "We have recently cleared vegetation within the central island and adjacent to the footbridge ramps and are currently replacing a number of missing road signs at the junction.

"We have planned further works to improve signage and road markings in the next financial year. No funding has been identified to date for the installation of full time traffic signals at the this junction, but this signal scheme is being considered as part of a wider review of the A414 corridor."

To sign the petition visit here.