RESIDENTS say the junction where two cars crashed on Friday night — leaving four men in hospital — is "dangerous".

Police are continuing to investigate the possibility that the smash at the Marsden Road, Spa Road, Moor Lane and Deansgate junction was caused by two cars racing each other.

They are looking into whether a Nissan 350z convertible and an unidentified car "were racing or speeding" before the Nissan and a black BMW collided.

Ian Hammond, the landlord of the Hen and Chickens pub in Deansgate, said the junction has no right-turn filter lights and no yellow box to stop cars becoming stranded in the middle of the road.

He said: "It was a busy Friday night but it was such a big bang that we heard it in here.

"Plenty of punters in here went out to watch. It is a bad road. You don't get much time to do a right turn because there is no filter.

"Loads of cars go through the lights and there is no room for them. By the time you can turn right, the lights are on red but you are in no man's land. It's dangerous.

"The filters should be on for longer or it should be a box junction."

Another resident, who lives close to where the crash happened but who does not wish to be named, said: "It's a dangerous junction. There have been other incidents there."

The driver of the Nissan, a 58-year-old man, suffered concussion and bruising while the BMW driver, a 76-year-old man, suffered an injury to his ankle in the crash just before 9pm on April 3.

The BMW passengers included an 81-year-old man, who suffered serious facial and ankle injuries and a 58-year-old who had minor injuries to his legs. A third passenger, aged 54, had minor injuries.

Mr Hammond also said the lack of a filter light to enter the new Bolton Market car park in Moor Lane causes problems.

He added: "We tend to get cars coming down quickly after being frustrated behind cars trying to turn into the market."

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: "Drivers do go too fast there all the time. On Thursday night I was nearly taken out by a car going at about 70mph through that junction.

"A lot of cars are also always going through red lights without a care in the world round here. Maybe enforcement needs to be stronger."

Anyone with any information about the incident should contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 856 4742.