A Hereford motorist has claimed that the safest way to travel on the hills at Callow and Dinmore is in a tank.

Edward Collier, of Moreland Avenue, has written to Hereford MP Paul Keetch over his concerns about the road markings on the hills - worries that had been presented to the Highways Agency a year ago.

Mr Collier says he has not noticed any significant change on Callow Hill since then and, although much has been done on Dinmore Hill, making double lines solid for the whole length on both faces has not been carried out.

"The nearside lane is signed as a 'crawler lane', as indeed it is for many large lorries and articulated vehicles.''

He added: "Cars passing them uphill are very liable to be confronted by another vehicle in the same central lane overtaking downhill at more than 50 mph," writes Mr Collier.

Slow traffic

He said he had experienced this on two occasions and claimed there was a very real risk of death or serious injury.

"If it were safe to overtake for the whole distance in the uphill direction on both faces of the hill, more vehicles could overtake and there would be very little risk of a head-on collision,'' he said.

"If people do not manage to overtake on the uphill direction past slow traffic in the nearside lane, then they would be able to travel downhill at a reasonable speed on the other side of the hill and bide their time in patience to overtake."

Mr Collier said the cost of making the broken lines into solid ones would be minimal but the potential savings in human misery would be great.

He said: "In my opinion both Dinmore and Callow hills are dangerous to traverse in a car, although a tank might well be safe."