A coroner has issued a stark warning over the danger of having no crossing points at a busy Weymouth junction following the death of a teenage boy.

Rowan Lloyd, aged 14, died in a collision with a lorry on Portland Road as he was cycling home from school in June last year.

An inquest heard that Rowan hit a traffic signal pole as he approached the junction and fell into the road as the lorry pulled away.

He died of multiple injuries.

Assistant coroner Brendan Allen concluded that Rowan died as a result of a road traffic collision.

In a damning report following the inquest, Mr Allen said there was a risk of further deaths unless action was taken.

The junction of Portland Road, Merley Road and Langton Avenue in Wyke Regis is close to several schools and can get busy with traffic during rush hour times.

Mr Allen said pedestrians have to “guess when the lights are in their favour”, raising concern that there are no crossing points for pedestrians or stop lines for cyclists.

He added: "There is no barrier between the pavement and the road as the junction is approached from the north.

"This allows pedestrians and cyclists to potentially cross between cars that are held at the junction by the lights, and would mean cars travelling in a northerly direction up Portland Road would have an obscured view of those crossing the road."

In the report, addressed to the Dorset highways department, Mr Allen said "urgent action should be taken to prevent future deaths."

Rowan's mother paid tribute to her "beautiful, fun loving, happy-go-lucky son, brother, grandson and nephew" following his death.

Mike Potter, road safety manager for Dorset Council, said immediate measures were introduced following the tragic incident, including hatched markings at the edge of the footway and the removal of trip hazards from the area. 

Mr Potter said: "One of the coroner’s concerns was the absence of a pedestrian guard railing at the Portland Road junction. But, there is increasing evidence to suggest that these railings can in fact increase the risk for pedestrians and cyclists.

"Because of this evidence we are not installing a pedestrian guard railing until the safety implications can be fully assessed.

"Recommendations have also been made for the use of pedestrian crossings and advanced stop lines for cyclists to be incorporated into the signalled junction, subject to funding."