Hundreds of thousands of pounds are to be splashed out to stem the rising death toll at a notorious blackspot.

More than £750,000 will be spent by Brighton and Hove City Council so it can put an end to the terrible safety record on the series of interconnecting roads, dubbed "the city's most dangerous area".

Four pedestrians have died and more than 73 have been injured on the roads running from the Clock Tower to the Old Steine and up to St Peter's Church since 2003.

City wide, more than 4,000 people have been killed or injured during the same period.

Last night Brighton and Hove City Council secured the £771,000 grant from the Government to initially carry out research and then actual work to drastically improve safety on the stretch of roads.

Honor Byford, the city council's road safety manager, told The Argus: "We will never totally eliminate the risk to those using the roads but we intend to do a lot more to reduce it."

It follows growing demands for change from Brighton and Hove coroners who have presided over a series of tragic deaths, often involving young or foreign students and collisions with buses.

Brighton and Hove deputy coroner John Hooper was the latest to call for action after the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Russian student Irina Kolmakova, who was hit by a double decker bus on August 14 at Castle Square.

He said: "Lessons have to be taken on board by those in charge of road safety in the city in order to stop the death toll which appears to be concentrated in this area."

Brighton and Hove Bus Company managing director Roger French has also called for "innovative" changes on the section of roads and for greater education of the dangers for pedestrians.

The grants were last night welcomed by city councillors who also called for a greater awareness of the dangers among pedestrians.

Coun Ted Kemble, a taxi driver, said: "Anything which will make that road safer has to be welcomed.

"I know the area can be dangerous although I think a lot of the accidents have involved young people who have stepped out in front of buses so we need to educate people as well."

Jenny Rowlands, the city council's director of environment, said: "We will be working with specialist researchers, the bus companies, Sussex Police and HM Coroner to carry out this vital research and to develop and implement the most appropriate measures and publicity to make this area safer for pedestrians, for cyclists and for all road users.

"This will be a very important improvement to this busy and essential route through the very heart of the city.

"We will be drawing up proposals and consulting with local councillors, businesses, residents and other representative groups as soon as possible to take their views and needs in to account from the start.

"Nationally, the city is at the forefront of increasing bus use and cycling and we are determined to make our streets as safe as possible."

What do you think? What should the council do to improve safety in the area? Leave your comments below.