AN ACCIDENT in which a biker broke his leg might have been avoided if residents’ concerns over dangerous parking had been heeded, it has been claimed.

A 27-year-old Portslade man was left with multiple leg fractures and head injuries when his motorbike and a Land Rover crashed in Mile Oak Road, Portslade, on Saturday.

An air ambulance attended the scene and police closed the road for several hours after the accident at 1.10pm.

The man is now receiving treatment at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

His injuries are described as serious but not life-threatening.

The smash happened outside the home of Rebecca Hole.

In September she had written to Brighton and Hove City Council to warn there would be a serious accident if changes to parking rules were not reversed.

In 2013, following complaints from some residents that cars parking on the pavement made it unusable, the council banned parking on the pavement with tickets issued for those who did.

However, this led to cars parking on the road, which has no yellow lines, leaving it just one lane wide for much of its length including at the brow of a hill which restricts visibility.

Mrs Hole’s letter to the council said: “We have had several near accidents with traffic past our house especially as hardly any drivers adhere to the 20mph speed limit.

“We strongly believe that unless action is taken to improve the road layout along this stretch of road, a serious accident will inevitably occur.”

Yesterday she told The Argus: “I think there should be restrictions and you shouldn’t be allowed to block the view.”

Brian Longridge, a Mile Oak resident who witnessed the crash on Saturday, said: “The biker ran into the back of the car, which had stopped at the brow of the hill.

“The problem is there are cars coming up on the wrong side of the road and you can’t see them until you are at the top of the hill.

“The parking makes it difficult but they made the change because people couldn’t use the pavement.”

Councillor Peter Atkinson, for North Portslade, said: “Residents have been raising concerns with this stretch of road for many years now.

“Cars regularly speed along this 20mph road and even try to overtake sometimes.

“I’m just amazed there haven’t been more serious accidents.”

Cllr Atkinson will launch an online petition to introduce parking restrictions and will ask the council’s traffic safety and parking departments to take an “urgent look at this road”.

A spokesman said Brighton and Hove City Council could not comment while a police investigation was ongoing.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said no arrests had been made in connection with the incident.