SHOPKEEPERS on Duckworth Street in Darwen town centre say the speed of the traffic travelling along the road is "frightening" and is sure to result in a serious accident.

An accident on the road yesterday saw two young men being taken to hospital.

A VW Polo was in collision with a single decker bus at 7.55am near to the junction of Heys Lane.

The 19-year-old driver of the car was going in the Bolton direction when he was involved in a head-on collision with a Blackburn Transport single decker bus travelling towards Blackburn,

Owner of Margaret's Cafe on Duckworth Street Barry O'Connor said: "It's a busy road, I'm here at 5.30am in the morning and the speeds at that time can be frightening --I'm talking about big lorries and cars.

"The police were further up the road earlier in the year with speed cameras but at the end of the day it's a big main road.

"During the week there are children crossing this road to get to Moorland school. With hindsight this accident could have been a lot worse.

"That car could have ended up in our shop or in next door's shop."

Mr Colin Chamley of Booze Brothers, who is next door to the cafe said: "There's too much traffic and it's constant. Since the motorway was built it's quicker to use the road to go to Bolton and go over the tops, it's a main road but if you put a pelican crossing there someone always tries to cross somewhere else."

Coun Eileen Entwistle of Sudell Ward said: "I think most people who know that road obviously take care as all of that road is busy for most of the day."

A spokesman from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council said to his knowledge no one had complained about the road being dangerous.

PC Gary Taylor of the road policing unit at Accrington police station said the road was closed for an hour yesterday morning for accident investigation purposes and that the driver of the Blackburn Transport bus was shocked as a result of the accident.

The driver of the car Darren Wilson, 19, from Brodick Road in Blackburn was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary with a suspected broken leg. His passenger Shaun Warburton, 18, of Neath Close, Blackburn suffered a broken arm.

PC Taylor is appealing for witnesses to the accident to contact him on 01254 353767.