Buses and taxis are to be told to cut their speed at an accident blackspot in Brighton.

A 20mph limit will be introduced in a bus lane where there have been seven serious accidents in the past four years.

Brighton and Hove city councillors Rik Child and Brighton Pavilion MP David Lepper said they hoped the speed limit would cut the casualty rate to zero.

The accidents all involved people crossing the bus lane in York Place and St George's Place, near St Peter's Church.

One person was killed near the pedestrian crossing in 1998.

Coun Child said pedestrians crossing the bus lane did not always look both ways because the A23's two lanes, which run beside it, were one way.

He said: "The council will be reducing the speed in the bus lanes and there will be further signage and road markings but residents must take extreme caution when crossing the road.

"The bus lane is two-way and people get hit by buses as they don't look both ways."

Mr Lepper, who has also been lobbying to improve safety, said: "Everything possible should be done to make sure pedestrians realise there can be two-way traffic along this bus lane and indeed taxis can be coming in both directions."

The city council is consulting until January 14 on reducing the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph, fitting new signs and painting road markings.

The improvements, which are supported by police, will be introduced immediately unless there are objections.

Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company, said: "We think it is a good idea so that we can improve safety in that area."

He said bus drivers were being told to use dipped headlights in the bus lane as an additional safety measure.

Environment councillor Chris Morley said: "We believe reducing the speed limit and improving signage along this stretch would be a common sense measure that could lead to a real improvement in road and pedestrian safety."