PEOPLE who use a stretch of footpath near a busy trunk road outside Ludlow are putting their lives on the line.

This is the view of Isla Rowntree who employs nearly 50 people at her business on the site of the Ludlow Food Centre.

And now pressure by Ms Rowntree, with a little help from the Advertiser, has brought a response from Highways England which plans to carry out remedial work next week.  Ms Rowntree's company Islabikes was so concerned that it was considering putting a halt to a scheme in which employees are encouraged to cycle or walk to work.

The section of footpath involved covers about a quarter of a mile from where the access from AFC Ludlow joins the A49.

Isla Rowntree says that the footway has been allowed to become so badly overgrown people are no longer safe because they are being forced to walk too close to traffic.

“This is a problem that has been going on for a long time and I have been trying to get something done but am not getting very far,” she said. “Over time the footpath has become so overgrown that it is only about half its original width which is forcing people who use it to walk very near the road and at times they are only inches from traffic that can include cars and lorries going at a high speed.

“The situation is so bad that anyone pushing a push chair or buggy either has to go through the grass or virtually have one wheel on the edge of the kerb which is highly dangerous.”

She says passing vehicles are throwing mud onto the footpath and making things worse by creating the conditions that encourage the growth of vegetation.

The footpath is used by people travelling on foot from the town to the Food Centre, Islabikes and the Clive pub.

“It may not be used a lot but it is an important footway and needs to be kept clear," she said.

The businesswoman, whose bike design and distribution business has grown from just a handful of staff to 46 people, operates a scheme that provides a financial incentive to people to walk or cycle to work.

“We want people to think of the environment and their health but I am reaching the stage where I am starting to wonder if it is the right thing for a responsible employer to encourage people to walk to work along such a dangerous footpath.”

Initially, she contacted Shropshire Council but was told that the footway was the responsibility of the Highways Agency and has been trying to get its contractor EM Highways to deal with the problem.

And now her efforts seem to have borne fruit.

Ms Rowntree said there have been token attempts in the past to clear some of the vegetation but it had been so dangerous for contractors that part of the road had been closed.

“If this is the case for professional highway workers in high visibility vests then how much more dangerous must it be for people in ordinary clothes,” added Isla Rowntree.

She said that the arrival of the darker evenings and mornings is making the situation even more dangerous.

A Highways England spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns from the public regarding an overgrown footpath next to the A49. Due to its location close to a main road, traffic management will need to be installed on the A49 to safely carry out this maintenance. This will be done next Monday and Tuesday overnight to minimise the impact on traffic.”