A HAMPSHIRE MP has expressed growing concern over an increase in accidents on the M3.

Data on junctions nine to 13, collected by Highways England, reveals there has been an increase in accidents between the respective periods April-October across 2015-2016, with 28 accidents resulting in a lane closure in 2015 followed by 39 in 2016.

Now Winchester and Chandler’s Ford MP Steve Brine says he will meet highways bosses to look at what action can be taken and have a further look at what may be causing accidents.

The stretch on motorway that serves Winchester and Southampton has had a number of accidents that have been reported by the Daily Echo.

These include a man being killed in a three-vehicle smash earlier this year in October.

Mr Brine said: “Constituents will have noticed my ongoing focus on road safety and this increase in accidents along our part of the M3 is a growing cause for concern.

“We should be careful not to jump to conclusions but the figures don’t lie and I plan to meet Highways England in the New Year to get their thoughts on what is happening.

“Also, I want to highlight the upturn in accidents to constituents who will not have missed the road closures that have followed and the reporting of them in the local media,” he added.

“It could be that this is a blip, perhaps related to weather or poor driving, rather than anything road related but it’s right to zoom in on the issue now.”

The news also comes as Mr Brine joined a campaign to make safer the A34 that runs from Winchester north into Berkshire. There have been nearly 2,000 accidents on that road between 2010 and 2014.

He also pointed to the road having regular delays around Bullington Cross near Sutton Scotney where there have been a number of crashes.