MORE than a thousand people have backed a petition to changes at a Hampshire road junction.

The demand for improvements to the A33/B3047 junction in Kings Worthy, near Winchester, has now topped four figures and is increasing daily.

It follows the death last month of pedestrian Jonathan Whitfield, 21, from Cheriton, near the junction last month.

Campaigners are calling for an immediate reduction in the speed limit from 50 to 40mph and the introduction of a roundabout or traffic lights.

They say recent changes, designed to improve safety and traffic flow, have confused many drivers and so made the junction more dangerous.

Some 960 people have signed the petition online at change.org-make-it-safer-make-it-40-on-the-a33-at-kings-worthy, and 82 have sent in paper responses.

It is an accident black spot with users of the junction expressing severe concerns. Some take considerable detours to avoid having to negotiate the junction.

City councillor Malcolm Prince said: “Most of the people making the decision about the junction don’t use it, we must take note of those that do.”

Cllr Jackie Porter, who sits on both the city and county councils, added: “Please Hampshire County Council, just make this decision now and reduce the speed limit to 40. It was in the original plan for the junction – so do it!”

A petition, with 400 names, was presented to the county council in Winchester last month, only a couple of days after Mr Whitfield’s death.

Jill Prince and David Learmonth presented the petition, arranged before Mr Whitfield’s death.

The driver of a Ford Kuga, a 45-year-old man from Chandler’s Ford, was uninjured.

The police appealed for witnesses with information to call 101 quoting 44160442729.

The junction is sited on the A33, with traffic accelerating away from the junction 9 interchange at Winnall and coming down the hill on the straight Basingstoke Road.

It meets traffic coming from the B3047 travelling from the Itchen Valley and from Winchester city centre.