A husband and wife have called for safety measures on a Huntingdon road after the death of a family pet.

Andrew and Hannah Hardy, of Sallowbush Road, said their children Kayla, 11, Bethany, 10, and Ryan, eight, were distraught after their cat Gizmo was found dead by the side of the road on December 17.

“Having to tell my three children that their very loving cat had gone to heaven was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do in a long time,” said Mr Hardy. “They were all devastated.”

Mr Hardy said he presumed Gizmo, who would have been three in July, had been hit by a vehicle the previous day.

“The fact that the driver of the vehicle didn’t even have the decency to stop and tend to Gizmo makes me sick,” he added.

“She may well have been saveable.”

Mr Hardy, whose family have lived in Sallowbush Road for nearly two years, said he had been telling the council for months that, despite its 30mph limit, it was a dangerous road.

“It has two schools connected to it yet people frequently exceed the speed limit,” he said.

“Gizmo’s death deeply saddens me and my family. I can only think what it would do to someone if the irresponsible driver who hit Gizmo had hit a child instead and just drove off.”

Mrs Hardy said she thought more effort should be made to slow down drivers.

“I think there should be speed bumps along there. There is a chicane, but that’s made it more dangerous because it’s by a disabled parking space and you can’t see when you’re pulling out.”

Cambridgeshire County Council’s accident data showed there were nine accidents in the Sallowbush Road area between 2008 and 2012.

Eight were recorded as “slight” but one in July 2011 involving a cyclist was deemed “serious”.

A CCC spokesman said: “We are always happy to discuss safety or highway improvements which could be made within the resources available to us.

“There is the ability for local residents and groups to put forward suggestions for such improvements and to help meet the cost. If residents have any concerns about driver behaviour they should report it to the police.”