A ROAD once dubbed the "Devil's highway" because of its high death rate has seen accident figures plummet since the speed limit was cut.

The A666 St Peter's Way in Bolton was plagued by a string of serious accidents before a blanket 50 mph limit was introduced five years ago.

No deaths have since been recorded on the two-mile stretch of dual carriageway and the injury rate has fallen dramatically, according to police figures.

In the three years before motorists found themselves slowed by the speed restrictions, six people were killed or seriously injured and 30 less serious injuries were recorded as a result of accidents.

In the five years since the 50mph limit was introduced and speed cameras were installed, just 24 people have suffered less serious injuries.

The £4 million St Peter's Way was hailed as an "urban motorway" when it opened on Tuesday December 21 1971.

But a string of deaths which followed between Kearsley roundabout and Bolton town centre forced council bosses to rethink the speed limit in 1998 and restrictions were introduced in December 1999.

Four speed cameras were introduced at the time.

It was feared that drivers joining the A666 from the M61 near Kearsley roundabout continued to treat the road as a motorway because of the 70 mph limit.

Emma Reynolds, spokesman for DriveSafe, said: "Independent research shows that cameras are working, they are reducing the number of deaths and injury on the roads.

"In Greater Manchester we have seen an overall 25 per cent reduction in people killed or seriously injured at camera sites.

"Whatever people's feelings are about cameras they can not dispute the evidence that they are saving lives."