A MUM-of-two left heartbroken after her cat was killed by a car fears a child could be next if measures to curb speeding motorists are not put in place on a busy Charford 'rat-run'.

Steph Nation’s cat Frankie was hit by a car on Austin Road on Sunday (August 30), leaving her two children devastated and 18-week-old kitten Leo motherless.

And Steph, who has a 12-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, fears there could be even greater tragedies if long-sought speed reduction measures are not introduced.

“Speeding is horrific on this road,” she said. “You have so many cars going up and down the road at approximately 60-70 miles an hour.

“I have two children who could potentially be run over by these idiots.

“I’m terrified of my kids even going out the front of my house due to the fact the people that go up and down the road think it’s a go kart track.

“They have taken the life of our little cat which my children loved dearly – my daughter sobbed herself to sleep because that was her baby.”

Steph's ordeal prompted an outpouring of sympathy from other local residents on social media - with some saying they had lost loved pets on the same road.

Independent councillor Michael Thompson said he has been campaigning for some time for speeding measures to be implemented in the area.

“Speeding on Austin Road and around Charford is a perennial problem,” he told the Advertiser.

“Former county councillor Chris Bloore and I tried to use a speed watch group nearby but were denied equipment on technicalities.

“Kyle Daisley has done some excellent work with the county council since his election and is working with the county to put in traffic calming measures.”

The Advertiser contacted Conservative councillor Mr Daisley and he revealed that nearby Charford Road will soon be getting speed restrictions - and that Austin Road is very much on Worcestershire County Council's 'to-do' list.

The county councillor said: "I know speeding has been a long-standing issue and it's something I pledged to address when I was going for election last October. I'm working as quickly as I can to find a solution.

"We are just about to go ahead with a 20mph speed restriction on Charford Road, which will be put in place by Christmas, as well as speed bumps as a traffic calming measure.

"We are looking at alternatives for Austin Road and Lyttleton Avenue, two other speeding hotspots.

"In my view, what is needed is to put a barrier in place to stop it being a rat-run which is something Charford has been used as.

"We have to stop that before a serious accident occurs - there has been a serious accident with an animal and it could easily have been a child so it something we need to take very seriously.

"Charford Road is a major part of that rat-run and if we can nip it in the bud there I hope that will have a knock-on effect on Austin Road and Lyttleton Avenue."

Cllr Daisley added that any residents with concerns about speeding in their road can attend one of his monthly surgeries or contact him via Facebook.