AN accident blackspot is getting a £140,000 safety makeover to force motorists to slow down.

Council engineers have come up with a plan which they hope will stop people overtaking and speeding when driving along Chorley Old Road, the scene of frequent crashes.

They are putting in extra refuge islands, road markings, and cycle lanes to discourage dangerous driving and to help pedestrians and cyclists.

The work, extending from the junction with Moss Bank Way to the start of the 30mph zone near Ridgemont Cemetery, Horwich, should be completed by the end of June. Terry Bullock, group engineer at Bolton Council, said: "There is a poor accident history on this road and there have been at least two accidents in the last two years.

"The main idea is to get people to drive at a sensible speed and to discourage them from overtaking which is when many accidents occur.

"We are not proposing to cut the speed limit at the moment as we don't believe that would be effective, although we might look at that in future."

Other safety improvements include painting hatching on the road to discourage overtaking, extending footpaths, and making a lay-by for residents to park off the road near the Bob Smithy Inn, the site of a serious accident earlier this year.

The scheme is not expected to cause major disruption for motorists as the work will be carried out to avoid peak times.

An elderly couple were injured when their car smashed into the pub, bounced off the side, and landed in the beer garden. Two pub customers narrowly escaped injury as did the passengers of two other cars.

Mr Bullock said the council would monitor the new scheme.