Near misses on a main road through West Cumbria have left businesses with no option but to kickstart a safety campaign.

The A595 junction with North Road next to Egremont Rangers ARLFC and the Jubilee Garage, which also has a shop and petrol station, has been labelled a safety concern by both businesses.

They are calling for Highways England to fund improvements to avoid a more serious incident and hope the junction can be considered as part of if upgrades are planned for junctions and entrances on the A595.

Jeffrey Hailes, vice-chairman of Egremont Rangers ARLFC, called for something to be done to prevent people having to take "unnecessary risks" to cross.

He said: “I discuss and take the safety of our teams, supporters and staff seriously.

“This junction is a safety concern for me due to the difficulty of getting out in a car safely, particularly turning right.

“I have witnessed a few near misses and also people will try to cross the road between the constant flow of traffic, taking unnecessary risks."

Mr Hailes said the issues were only becoming worse when the club hosts a home game.

“On a matchday, due to the success of the club in the National Conference League, we have high volumes of traffic and people which adds to the increased issues," he added.

“The garage very kindly allows our players and staff to park at the rear on matchday; some 30 cars and two coaches.

“Improving the entrance junction and traffic flow would assist the access need and also reduce the risk of potential accidents for our people.

“We also have youth teams of all ages and provide a hub to the community, supporting local people who use the club for many activities throughout the week.”

John Gates, who owns the Jubilee Garage, added: “The garage is a long-established, family-run business that provides the local community with motoring and fuel services as well as a convenience store.

"Customers using both businesses often experience great difficulty and near misses when using the junction to access the garage and the club or to rejoin the busy A595.

"This is why we would urge Highways England to consider our issues and safety concerns."

A spokesman for Highways England said: “The safety of all road users is our priority and we constantly review the operation of our motorways and major A roads to ensure they are operating as safely as possible.

"This junction already benefits from a dedicated right-hand turn from the A595 into North Road.

"The A595 in this area also has a pelican crossing and additional safety hatchings.

"We rely on a variety of factors, including intelligence from official collision statistics, when planning improvements and feedback from local people and other road users is also important to us.

"Drivers have a role to play too and should exercise greater care and patience when leaving side roads onto busy A roads.”