RESIDENTS say an Old Town street needs to be pedestrianised before someone is killed.

The residents, who live in Belle Vue Road in Old Town, say that Union Row, which connects their road with the main Victoria Road should be closed to through traffic or pedestrianised to stop accidents like the one involving Swindon Town player Albert Jarrett last week.

Builder Alex Brain, 25, who lives in the street with his family said: "This is a rat run for people wanting to drive from Victoria Road to Drove Road, but when drivers turn left out of Union Row into Belle Vue Road, they just don't look to the right up Albert Street, mainly because they don't realise or think that traffic can come from their right.

"I must have seen 15 accidents on this road in the past three or years. Not all of them were serious, usually just a few shunts, but it's far too many.

"One day someone is going to be either seriously hurt or killed here, and it was pretty close the other day.

"Something needs to be done, perhaps putting stop signs in Union Row to give way to traffic from Union Row or close Union Row to traffic completely and halt the rat run that it has become.

Sheila Wollen, who also lives in Belle Vue Road, agreed.

"There is nothing on Union Row to tell drivers to give way, you can barely see the white lines and drivers who are unfamiliar with the area won't look to their right, they will pull straight out. The traffic situation is bad enough around here as it is, particularly with parking.

"Closing Union Row would probably stop the accidents and make this area much safer."

An accident on Tuesday saw electrician, Edward Owen from Barnsley, thrown to the pavement following a collision between a Porsche Boxster and a Volkswagen Touareg, which have a combined value of about £80,000.

The Touareg was driven by new Swindon Town signing Albert Jarrett.

The accident also demolished a front garden wall and damaged a third car.

According to police, Mr Owen was lucky to escape serious injury and has been left with compart-ment syndrome, which causes the painful swelling of the muscles in his legs.

He is still at the Great Western Hospital and is expected to be kept in this week. His mother Josephine Owen said: "It's all very upsetting for him still."