THERE have been calls for changes to the Blacklands junction on the A361 near Bishops Cannings after a 66-year-old Devizes man was seriously injured in a crash on Monday evening.

The driver of a Corsa had to be cut from the wreckage of his car by firefighters after his car collided with a Transit van at the junction.

He had been travelling from the Blacklands direction and turned towards Devizes as the van driven by a 26-year-old man from Swindon came from Devizes towards Beckhampton.

This week long-standing Bishops Cannings parish councillor Jenny Combe said it was time something was done to improve the junction.

She said: "There have been a number of serious accidents at that junction. I use that road a lot but I hate having to turn right from Bishops Cannings towards Swindon.

"It is a bus route and it is also used by a lot of farm traffic. A dip in the road makes it difficult to see traffic coming towards you."

She said a roundabout might be the answer. She said: "I think there would be room for a roundabout or an island. It is definitely something we as a parish council need to discuss and pursue."

Parish council chairman Paul Robinson agreed and said the road safety issue would now be on the agenda of the council's September meeting.

The accident on Monday happened just after 4.30pm and closed the road for five hours as emergency services attended to the injured and then cleared the debris.

Pip Flowers, the retained station commander from Devizes Fire Station, said: "When we got there police and ambulance were already in attendance.

"A paramedic was talking to the man in the Corsa. We were told his injuries were not life threatening and so we were able to carefully cut away the side of the car so that he could be removed. He was taken to hospital by road but paramedics from the air ambulance were in attendance."

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: "We are appealing for witnesses to this serious road traffic collision at what is a very busy junction. It was during the day so many vehicles would have been passing and using that stretch of road and junction.

"If you were in the area and saw what happened or have any other information that might help our investigation please call 101 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."