Hundreds of people were killed or seriously injured on Devon’s roads last year, figures reveal.

Road safety charity Brake says the number of road deaths and serious injuries in Britain is 'deeply worrying', and has called for more government action.

In Devon the number of those killed or seriously injured on fell from 413 in 2017 - of which 383 were seriously injured - to 395 in 2018 (362 seriously injured).

A spokesman for the county highways authority said: "While this reduction is welcomed, we recognise that this number is still far too high, and that's why through the Peninsula Road Safety Partnership, Devon County Council, Highways England, emergency services and the NHS are working together to reduce the numbers further.

"By combining all our skills, experience and resources we are confident we can make sustained improvements in collision and casualty reduction on our roads."

Devon and Cornwall Police reported 59 road deaths and 794 serious injuries last year in its area, Department for Transport figures show.

The figure is slightly lower than in 2017, when a combined total of 870 were recorded.

The total number of casualties, which includes slight injuries, also dropped.

The DfT warns against comparing year-on-year figures, however, due to changes in 2016 to the way some forces record the severity of road injuries.

The latest figures for Devon and Cornwall represent all accidents that happened on a public road and involved at least one vehicle, horse rider or cyclist.

Across Britain, serious injuries rose slightly in 2018, to 27,811, while 1,782 people were killed on the roads.

This was similar to the level seen since 2012, but followed a significant drop in the number of road deaths over the previous decade.

Brake has called on the Government to set out clear targets to eliminate the 'unacceptable' number of road deaths and serious injuries.

A spokesman said: "These figures are deeply worrying and highlight the continued stagnation in Britain's road safety record.

"We would never accept such carnage in rail or aviation, so why should we on the road?"

Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at the RAC, said the figures 'make for stark reading'.

He added: "Precious little progress has been made in reducing the number of fatalities on our roads for nearly a decade, and since 2016 the number of fatalities and serious injuries has actually gone up."

A DfT spokesman said: "The UK has some of the safest roads in the world and the number of deaths has fallen by 30% since 2008.

"Just last week, we announced our comprehensive road safety statement, setting out 74 actions we will take over the next two years to help reduce the number of people who are killed or injured on our roads."