A BILBROOK motorist is demanding more is done to improve safety on a notorious stretch of the A39 after almost being hit head-on by a van at the same spot where two women died last year.

Jonathan Collier was driving his Morgan sports car towards Minehead and was pulling out of a left-hand bend close to Philip Hobbs' racing stables when he was forced to take evasive action.

"My wife and I came within millimetres of being written-off completely," he said.

The couple were heading for Porlock when a white van travelling in the opposite direction suddenly pulled out from behind a small queue of cars following a tractor.

"This idiot just pulled out and nearly hit us head-on.

"I just hammed the brakes on and left two huge skid marks and thankfully there was enough of a gap between one of the cars for him to swerve back in again," Mr Collier said.

He has reported the incident to the police in the hope someone who saw the van may have taken its registration number.

"It's the second time something like that has happened to me there and the only saving grace this time was the fact there was a small gap for him to swerve into.

"Two women were killed there last year and accidents are a common occurrence. We need double white lines at the very least," Mr Collier said.

Last year, West Somerset coroner Michael Rose called for speed cameras to be installed on that particular stretch of the A39 following the deaths of Victoria Gould and Jean Turner.

The pair were in different cars, travelling in opposite directions when Mrs Gould's BMW collided head-on with a car in which great-grandmother Mrs Turner was a passenger.

An inquest found the BMW's excessive speed was the main cause of the accident, but the coroner's plea for a fixed camera was turned down by Somerset's road safety chiefs.

Instead, signs were put up warning of the danger of the accident blackspot and safety chiefs said they hoped to use mobile camera units at the site.

But Mr Collier wants more and is calling for people to lobby police and local councillors for improved road safety at Bilbrook and the nearby Withycombe Straight.

"I hope talking about my near-miss may trigger someone to come forward about the van and also put pressure on the powers that be to do something to make that stretch of road safer," he said.

Anyone who witnessed Mr Collier's near miss, which happened at about 4.30pm last Wednesday, or who may have details of the van involved should contact Minehead police on 0845 4567000.