The forty mile an hour speed limit on Bournemouth's Wessex Way will stay - despite an attempt by a group of motorists to have it changed back to fifty - between County Gates and St Pauls roundabout.

More than nine thousand drivers joined a Facebook group in favour of the return of the higher limit, and two letters were sent to the council's Environment and Transport Panel - claiming slower traffic unnecessarily increases journey times, pollution, stress and danger.

But the authority says the stretch is expected to record a seventy-nine percent drop in accidents since the limit was lowered.