Safety improvements to the danger junction where boxing champ Gary Mason was killed were shelved, despite residents warning a serious accident or fatality there was inevitable.

Residents had spent years campaigning for improvements at two junctions around Woodcote Green, including the junction of Woodcote Road, Sandy Lane South and The Drive, where the boxing champion was knocked off his bike.

But plans to improve the junction in 2009 were derailed after a bid by Sutton Council for Government funding was turned down by Transport for London, who decide where limited road safety funding is allocated across the capital.

Chair of the Woodcote Green Residents Association Dr Patrick Radford said: “We all feared a fatality was coming but sadly nothing was done. It seems we were not enough of a priority.”

Residents said the K shaped junction where three roads meet and cars speed off the main road confused motorists, who often ignored white line markings and made cars cross each others’ path.

A study in to improving the junction included recommendations a mini roundabout was put in.

Patricia Purkiss, 74, who lives opposite the scene of the collision said: "Its tragic, but it was inevitable."

Her husband Keith, 74, said: "The cars come down too fast. It can be hard for drivers to see what is coming. There have been a number of accidents"

Councillor Simon Wales, Sutton Council's spokesperson on transport, said the death was tragic, but Sutton had among the lowest number of casualties on its roads in London and incidents of this type were extremely rare.

He added: "Traffic calming measures were installed on Woodcote Road in 2005 -06 and we submitted a bid for funding to introduce additional safety features in 2008-09, but since the demand for local safety schemes had become more competitive, this was not successful.

"Although the driver involved in the accident has been arrested for dangerous driving, we currently await the report from the police investigation and will then see if any further action needs to be taken.”

Epsom motorcyclist Julian Green was killed in March 2009 when his BMW bike collided with a tipper at the neighbouring junction of Woodmansterne Lane and Woodcote Road junction at the other end of Woodcote Green.