LEDBURY'S Top Cross junction is a catastrophe waiting to happen, according to a concerned town councillor, after a collision on Monday.

Tony Bradford says safety measures need to be added to the four-way junction, joining New Street, High Street, the Southend and the A449 Worcester Road.

Caf owner James Zhang was lucky to escape injury, after a car turning right into High Street crashed into the traffic lights and smashed his front window at 8.30am on Monday.

"I was at the shops when it happened, but came back to find the car had hit the window," said Mr Zhang, who has only been running Grade II listed Farmhouse Fayre caf for several weeks.

"It's a very good job nobody was inside."

Builders narrowly escaped injury at the junction in June, when an articulated lorry, unable to get round the narrow bend, reversed into scaffolding they were working on.

Mr Bradford says barriers such as metal railings should be installed around the junction.

"I think it's dangerous, someone could be seriously hurt there, it's a junction that has to cope with huge volumes of traffic."

Herefordshire Council spokesman Andrew Jenkins said: "Installing a normal pedestrian barrier at the crossing would not prevent cars coming through it.

"There are crash barriers, but there are strict criteria to install them. If people would like the matter investigated they should write to the council's Area Manager."

Mr Bradford said the ideal solution would be to re-route through traffic away from the town centre and create a bypass to Worcester and Hereford.

Police are appealing for information about Monday's incident, which involved a black Alpha Romeo.

They can be contacted on 08457 444888.