A GRIEVING mother who lost her daughter in a car accident says she is considering suing Herefordshire Council over the state of the road.

Legal secretary Amethyst Young, 27, died after her car came off the A44 near Eardisland in May while she was driving to work in Leominster.

But her family say they are considering legal action against the authority in light of improvement works at the scene which, they say, were installed just weeks after they received the results of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the council asking for accident figures on that stretch of road.

"They've completely resurfaced that road now," said Amethyst's mother, Elysia Young.

"There are also bollards that have gone up, and chevrons. They've even taken a layby out. They've really gone to town.

"But if the road was so substandard, why was it not resurfaced prior to my daughter dying?

"If they had done the work beforehand, then maybe I would not have lost her."

The FOI request showed 10 "personal injury accidents" had been recorded on that stretch of road in the last five years.

"I just find it strange that I asked for the Freedom of Information details and then a couple of weeks later it is resurfaced," said Mrs Young, who added they have thought about suing the council but would need financial help from others to take the matter on because of the legal costs involved.

"If there was nothing wrong with the road then they should not have resurfaced it.

"I cannot help but think the council are covering up something."

Mrs Young says she is glad the work was done but questions the timing.

"Part of us thinks it's great that they have done it, because if it was a contributory factor [in Amethyst's death] then it may stop others dying," she said.

"But why was it not done sooner?"

She describes her daughter, who lived with her family in Lyonshall, as a very careful driver who had hopes of one day becoming a solicitor.

"She had just celebrated her 27th birthday," said Mrs Young, who is 53. "She's a huge loss in our lives."

Her family say nobody else is believed to have been involved in the crash, adding they understand she was travelling at 40mph at the time.

In a statement, Herefordshire Council said: "Herefordshire Council extends its sincerest condolences to the family of Amethyst Young. The coroner's inquest is open but adjourned and as such the council is unable to make any comment until such time as the coroners findings are known."