WORRIED Stourport residents are calling for a "dangerous" steep road used by church-goers to be resurfaced to help prevent possible accidents.

Councillors and residents of Rectory Lane, in Areley Kings have been calling on Worcestershire County Council to look into the problem for years but have been told there is no money in the budget to resurface the road.

The road is home to St Bartholomew's Church, which brings church-goers, wedding guests and funeral hearses up the steep slope for services.

A spokeswoman for Worcestershire County Council said the highways maintenance team said the road is currently on their waiting list for some structural patching work to take place.

Jill Pagett, of Rectory Lane, said: "If they did a risk assessment, that road would be closed. We wouldn't be able to have pedestrians walk down there because it's a dangerous bank.

"I walk down there to work you slip on the gravel. It started off as a few pot holes and it's now one major pothole.We'll all need 4x4s soon.

"They came to fill in three of the pothole last week, it's a waste of time patching it. The whole of the road has had it."

Mrs Pagett also highlighted that in September last year, a concrete mixer accidentally deposited part of its load over the road service, worsening the problem.

She was told nothing could be done as no-one had taken the registration down.

Reverend Mark Turner, of St Bartholomew's Church, said: "We do get a lot of traffic particularly associated with weddings and funerals and a lot of people park on that slope.

"It does seem to me, because the road surface is so loose, that one day we're going to have an accident as people aren't going to be able to stop very well. It's quite a serious concern."

Phil Machin, 50, who is in a wheelchair, takes his dog for a walk up Rectory Lane.

He said: "It shakes my legs up and I've nearly been out of the chair a couple of times.

"It only wants a bit of skimming over with tarmac. I don't know what it does to cars but it doesn't help my chair."

Stourport Mayor Ken Henderson has contacted Worcestershire County Council on behalf of the residents. He echoed concerns for pedestrians going up to the graveyard to see their loved ones.

He said: "I know there are limited services but I am sure there is some money available for road repairs. I rang them [the county council] and they said they will look at it in the new financial year but they can’t promise anything. It could be another year and nothing's been done."