Call for improvements at junction

Elizabeth Burns, right, died in the crash

The family of a 72-year-old woman who died in a car accident at a blackspot has called for improvements to be made.

Elizabeth Burns, of Longtown, Cumbria, was a passenger in a car involved in a crash on the A7 at Westlinton crossroads on Sunday.

She was on her way to Carlisle with her husband Peter and granddaughter to have Sunday lunch with her family.

Cumbria County Council says improvement works already planned for the site are due to begin on Wednesday.

The family of Mrs Burns, who was known as Betty, described her as a devoted mother, wife, grandmother, aunt and sister. She had been married for more than 50 years.

In a statement, her family said: "She leaves a large extended family and has grieving relatives coming from Scotland and Ireland to comfort each other.

'Improve safety'

"How many people going about their everyday lives have to die before [the council] spends money on making these crossroads safe rather than waste money on unnecessary roadworks in the city centre?

"Betty was very well known in Longtown and lived there with husband Peter all her life and is deeply missed by everyone who knew her and loved her."

A Cumbria County Council spokesman said: "It is particularly sad that this fatal accident has happened so soon before work was due to begin to improve safety at the junction.

"We realise this will be no consolation to Mrs Burns' family and friends, and no consolation to the family and friends of Clare Mitchell who was killed at the junction in June and Margaret Atkinson who died there in April."

The scheme involves building out an extension of the short length of footway to create a system giving priority to vehicles travelling west along the C1016 from the A7.