Angry Stanford-le-Hope residents have launched a petition calling for safety measures on Southend Road after a boy was seriously hurt in an accident recently.

Residents have slammed the end of Golding Crescent as a ‘death waiting to happen’ after two cars collided as a car pulled out on the evening of July 28.

The smash, which left a 17 year old boy with serious injuries to his knee, was the latest in a string of eight accidents over the past 12 years at the same turn-off.

Norman Toombs, 73, of Golding Crescent, who set up the 110 signature petition, said a speed camera was way overdue.

Speaking after the last accident which wrote off two cars on the evening of Thursday July 28, he added: “It’s like they’re waiting for someone to get killed. If someone got killed last Thursday it would be down to the council.

“A speed hump won’t do it because if they come round at 40 or 50mph they could just take off and lose control.

“If there’s a speed camera there, it will be a deterrent. Otherwise, when they’re doing 50 or 60mph we have got no chance.”

Sarah Bromley, 35, of Frost Estate, who grew up on Golding Crescent said it was one of the “worst” corners to pull out on in the area.

Mrs Bromley, who visits the road with her kids aged 9 and 10, said: “When you have got kids in the car, it’s horrible. When you get to the corner you can’t see who’s coming round at 50 or 70mph. You have to pull out and hold your breath.

“You have to wind your window down and listen. It’s ridiculous. I can’t believe they haven’t had a speed camera there before.”

Linda Bassett, 64, of Champion Close, said: “It’s dangerous, a death-trap corner. My son was in an accident there a few years ago. The council said it cost too much to put up a mirror so they put up a stop sign. It’s ridiculous. Why does it say stop – people have to stop anyway!”

One resident, who was in an accident on the corner in 2007 which saw his van written off, said: “I was pulling out of Golding Crescent and the car hit me and pushed me into the gate post and smashed my car into bits. They took away the driver in an ambulance.

“We are not talking about normal speeds here. We are talking about 70-80mph on Friday nights. There is a 30mph sign there, but that doesn’t stop them at all. It’s just a worry that sooner or later, someone will get killed.”

Mr Toombes, whose wife Beryl Toombes set up a similar petition before she passed away, added he had recently read a story in Kent Newshopper about a killed cat.

He said: “Thurrock Council don’t care if someone gets killed, while other boroughs care if cats get killed and put speed cameras up.”

A spokesman for Thurrock Council said: "The council takes road safety extremely seriously and regularly reviews each road in the borough and risk assesses potential hazards.

"We will consider the petition in line with our policies and will respond to the organiser with our findings in due course."