THE family of a 20-year-old driver who was killed in a car crash on the A413 are considering taking legal action against the county council.

Richard Nicholls died when he drove his car into the railway bridge over the road near Chalfont St Peter on Sunday June 26.

But the inquest into his death heard last week that a potentially life-saving crash barrier had not been in place for nearly two years prior to the accident.

Work to replace the barrier - which was damaged in a previous accident in October 2009 - did not start until November this year, in a move that was criticised by the county's coroner Richard Hulett.

Mark Rowe of Transport for Buckinghamshire told the inquest that replacing the barrier had not been a priority - but accident investigator Andy Evans said having one in place could have saved Mr Nicholls' life.

Following the inquest Mr Nicholls' family feel there are grounds for legal action against Buckinghamshire County Council, the authority responsible for the barrier's upkeep.

Speaking after the inquest Mr Nicholls' uncle Francis Lambert said: "The council have taken more than 20 months over this.

"If this had been put in place 21 months prior to Richard's accident, it wouldn't have ended up with us being in an inquest. It could have been avoided had the council replaced the barrier far earlier.

"In the last two years every vehicle [that passed it] was at potential risk."

Paying tribute to Mr Nicholls, a trainee dental nurse from Leachcroft, Chalfont St Peter, his father John added: "He was a fantastic kid. I didn't realise how many friends he had until after his death - 500 people attended the funeral."