A tri-force of parish councillors has been formed to try and end the terrible toll of accidents at Caen Hill, Devizes.

Rowde, Potterne and Poulshot have joined together to form a working group to look at road safety on that stretch of the A361.

Steve Mundy, chairman of Rowde Parish Council, said: "In the last 10 years Wiltshire Police have been to 37 accidents along this stretch of road where sadly one person has been killed and people have been hurt.

"The fire service have had to attend 13 collisions since 2009, which indicates how serious they have been.

"I've been in correspondence with Wiltshire Council, and the police about the number of accidents and I'm delighted that Potterne and Poulshot have responded so positively to tackling this problem together."

The tri-parish council working group will look at the junctions with Caen Hill where roads from Poulshot and Rowde join the main road.

Clyde Hoddinot, chairman of Potterne Parish Council, said: "The junction to Whistley Lane off the A361 has the additional problem of leading to a very narrow lane where lorries and coaches often get stuck and cause chaos for local people.

"Anything we can do to limit the number of large vehicles cutting through the village off this fast piece of dual carriageway will be a benefit as well as improving the safety at these junctions."

Geoff Collett, chairman of Poulshot Parish Council, said: "It was great that all three chairmen and many councillors from each parish were able to get together to discuss this long running problem of accidents along Caen Hill.

"We are hopeful that by joining together on this issue we will have a stronger voice when discussing it with Wiltshire Council."

Anna Cuthbert, Wiltshire councillor for Bromham, Rowde and Potterne, was also at the meeting and added her support to the call for change.

She said: "The number of collisions at these junctions is of real concern to local people and I'm pleased that Potterne, Rowde and Poulshot parish councils are working together.

"I know that Wiltshire Council takes the safety of drivers and pedestrians very seriously and will want to explore suggestions that are made by the working group with a view to improving road safety."

In December when a woman was seriously injured in a crash at the Poulshot junction Mr Mundy said a lower speed limit on Caen Hill could help reduce accidents.

But Wiltshire highways boss Philip Whitehead is not convinced this would help.

He said: "It has been shown that when an accident happens it is usually 90 per cent driver error and nothing to do with the road. This road has very good visibility."