The public should be encouraged to report any obstructions they come across on roads to the police or highway authority, according to a coroner.

The call comes following the death of a motorcyclist who was killed when he lost control of his machine on grass lying on Coombe Road, Winterbourne Steepleton, near Dorchester, on May 30, 2021.

An inquest heard that Stephen Wood, 59, from Yeovil, was travelling at about 44mph and had gone over the brow of a hill when he hit the grass, which covered a 60-metre stretch of carriageway.

He was thrown from his Harley Davidson 1,200cc machine into the path of an oncoming Ford Focus and suffered major injuries. He was confirmed as dead at the scene.

Evidence was given that the loose grass had been on the road for over an hour and was seen by other motorists, but no-one reported it.

Three men working for a local farmer who had been carrying sileage from a nearby field told police they had driven over it and the farmer said that in future employees had been told to report any spillages or obstruction.

Following the inquest Rachel Griffin, senior coroner for Dorset, has now issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, as well as the Chief Executive of the National Highways Agency, Chief Constable of Dorset and the Chief Executives of Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Councils.

Mrs Griffin said she was concerned that although spillages had to be cleared there was no obligation to report any hazard.

“I would request that consideration is given to making all road users aware of the dangers of obstructions in the road and to encourage them to report any hazard to the local police force or local authority so that it cane be removed as soon as possible, or at least other road users be warned of the hazard to prevent a future death,” she said.

All the authorities have until April 4 to respond, either by explaining what action is being taken or spelling out why it is felt that nothing need be done.