One man died and three other people were seriously injured when a car went off the road at Haughton, near Stafford, today.

Firefighters cut the roof off the Ford Fiesta, which went through a fence and ended up on its wheels in a field off the A518 opposite former farm buildings at about 3.20am.

The car had suffered extensive damage to the rear end.

The driver of the car, a man who had received serious head injuries had got out of the car before emergency services arrived at the accident scene near to the former Villa Farm buildings between Haughton and Stafford..

Fire crews from Stafford, Gnosall and Eccleshall used hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the roof and release two women, who were both passengers. They had both suffered serious head injuries.

A second man, who was rear-seat passenger, had also suffered serious head injuries and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

Paramedics and an emergency doctor tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.

The three injured people were also treated at the scene and put on spinal boards before being taken by ambulance to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent.

The four people in the car were all in their late teens or early 20s.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the accident or anyone who saw the movements of the blue Fiesta before the accident to come forward.

It is not believed that any other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Any witnesses should contact Stafford police station on 0300 123 4455 quoting incident 63 of November 5.

The A518 Action Group has been campaigning for the county council to take action to make the A 518 Newport Road safer through Haughton and Gnosall

The road has an appalling record of both minor and major accidents

There have been calls for a reduction in the speed limit to 50mph.