IT has been suggested that stretches of the A49 in Shropshire are amongst the slowest in the country.

According to the price comparison site Forbes Advisor, the slowest stretch of road in the UK is a 1.2 mile section on the A49 northbound between the B4368 and A489 with traffic averaging just 8.4mph.

The same short stretch of road southbound does a bit better with average speeds of 10.8 mph.

In the same area, on the A49 between the B4368 Craven Arms north and the B4368 Craven Arms south southbound the average speed is 10.9 mph. but those going north towards Shrewsbury go at a less leisurely 12.4 mph.

But Vivienne Parry, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow South, says that she finds the figures astonishing and that they do not show a full picture.

Mrs Parry has been campaigning about the A49 but for very different reasons.

She has in particular been trying to get a solution to the accident blackspot near the Salwey Arms at Woofferton on the Shropshire border with Herefordshire.

“The A49 is one of the most dangerous roads in the country and there have been many deaths,” said Mrs Parry.

“If there is a problem with the A49 then it is traffic going too fast. It is a dangerous stretch of road partly because there is a mix of traffic with some cars going very fast along with slow vehicles like tractors but that is what happens in the countryside.”

She added that she did not recognise the figures released by Forbes and also pointed out that the stretches of road mentioned were very short.