The message being sent to the Welsh Government is coming through loud and clear - after over 10,000 people demanded urgent safety measures to be carried out at Pembrokeshire's notorious Nash Fingerpost junction on the A477.

This week campaigners confirmed that they have secured no fewer than 10,006 signatures in a record-breaking 36 days, for their petition calling on the Welsh Government to instigate a safer junction.

Their hope was that the 10,000 figure would have been reached within their original allotted time of six months.

“This shows the strength of feeling here in Pembrokeshire and beyond,” said one of the petition organisers.

“We will not stand for anymore unnecessary accidents and fatalities on this treacherous junction.”

The petition, which has now been forwarded to the Welsh Government for further consideration, is calling for major improvements on the existing Nash Fingerpost junction, comprising either a roundabout or traffic lights as well as a speed reduction and better signage.

It was set up following the tragic death of 29-year-old Ashley Rogers who was killed at the junction on May 13, 2022.

“While we wait for the Senedd to seriously discuss this, our determination is that we get a safer junction. We’d like to thank all the concerned people of Pembrokeshire for taking the time to sign this petition.”

The campaigners' achievement has been endorsed by Government Chief Whip and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart, who has himself campaigned tirelessly for the Nash Fingerpost junction to be improved.

“I hope that this is the first step in making this junction safer,” he said.

“We have recently seen the second fatality in 12 years and there have also been at least nine collisions, which resulted in 16 casualties during that time.

“But what these figures don’t show are the everyday near misses and the dicing with death that goes on day in, day out.

"Tankers and articulated lorries from the refinery, the Castlemartin tank range and the power station all have to use this 'ghost junction' and it is simply not safe.”

Drivers are expected to cross from the Pembroke road onto the eastbound carriageway in one smooth manoeuvre.

“But this is simply not possible and the sight lines do not allow it” continued Simon Hart.

“The back ends of lorries and trailers often stick out in the westbound traffic causing the trunk road to come to a grinding halt.

"There is a hair-raising video on my Facebook page of a crane making the crossing which perfectly illustrates this point.

“I’ve been calling on the Welsh Government to put a roundabout there ever since I became an MP, but in 2012 I was told by the then Welsh Transport Minister that on the basis of traffic volumes using this junction, it's upgrading to a roundabout 'was not currently justified'.

“I really do hope that the strength of feeling shown by this petition and the recent tragic death of Ashley Rogers will make them take another look at it.”