CALLS have been made for improvements to the A35 after five people, including a six-year-old child, were seriously injured in a crash.

Emergency services were called to the collision at Kilmington late on Friday night.

A police spokesman said: "At about 11.50pm on Friday, a two vehicle road traffic collision occurred on the A35 at Loughwood House, near Kilmington.

"A silver BMW car travelling towards Axminster was in collision with a green Renault Megane car, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

"As a result of the collision a man from Charmouth, and believed sole occupant of the BMW, suffered serious injuries including a broken neck."

Two of the passengers in the Renault, including a six-year-old child, sustained life threatening injuries. The driver and another passenger sustained life changing injuries.

A councillor has called for action to improve the stretch of the A35 from Dorchester to Honiton. Cllr Stan Williams, chairman of Lyme Regis Town Council's town management and highways committee, labelled the stretch of road as being in a "dreadful state".

He added: "There cannot be any stretch of trunk road in the country that is as bad as this.

"It has places where it is difficult for lorries to pass, it is beset by dangerous junctions, roundabouts and other obstructions.

"It also causes considerable difficulties to delivery lorries and holidaymakers using this route, thus depriving the seaside towns of much trade. At one stage there were plans to carry out improvements and in the light of the Prime Minister's statement that the government will be carrying out improvements to the infrastructure, we should put our case forward."

Safety improvements at the Hunters Lodge junction are set to begin next year, while Highways England are currently in discussions with the developers of the proposed Vearse Farm scheme to provide a roundabout at Miles Cross near Bridport.

A spokeswoman from Highways England, said: "Safety is always our priority and the accident records of all our roads, including the A35, are routinely analysed.

"Our thoughts are with the people affected by the accident on the A35 on Friday but while the police investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further.

"Recently we have undertaken a scheme to improve the safety and operation of Charmouth roundabout, which focuses on improvements to the A35 eastbound entry to the roundabout and another between Chideock to Miles Cross where the speed limit has been reduced from 60 to 40mph and new signage and road markings put in place.

"Studies have also been undertaken at Wilmington and Kilmington to explore the potential for safety improvement measures and better crossing facilities and initial design work is about to start."