Pedestrians have been warned to take care when walking beside dark roads after a woman died in a crash.

The accident happened at 7.15am yesterday at the B1107 Brandon Road at Thetford, off the A11, close to the entrance of the Thetford Golf Club.

The woman, said to be in her 20s or 30s, suffered serious injuries when she was hit by a car. She died at the scene. The road was closed between the A11 roundabout and the Santon Downham turning but was cleared and re-opened at 10.25am.

Roads policing inspector Chris Brooks urged people to take care along dark roads.

'The investigation remains in the early stages so we cannot comment on the causes of this collision,' he said.

'However, we would like to highlight the need for pedestrians to consider their safety when using unlit rural roads including taking sensible precautions such as wearing conspicuous clothing and carrying a torch.'

This latest crash claimed the ninth life on the region's roads in less than a month.

Eight victims aged from seven to 87 died in the tragedies during December, in the weeks before and after Christmas.

Sisters Jessica Portor, seven, and sister Tamzin, 10, from Sutton Bridge, were the youngest victims. They died in a crash on the A47 near Walsoken on December 27.

The girls' 12-year-old brother Liam suffered minor injuries in the accident, along with their 38-year-old father Allan Portor, who was the front seat passenger.

The 43-year-old female driver of the car, not the girls' mother, also suffered minor injuries.

On Christmas Eve, great grandparents John Knight, 77, and wife Patricia, 76, died in a crash on the A47 at Wendling while travelling from Leicester to visit their son in Dereham. Their family said they were 'devastated' by the loss.

Sixteen-year-old Andrew Oakley died in a two-vehicle crash on the B1077 at Shelfanger near Diss, at the weekend and a woman, thought to be in her 70s, died in a three-vehicle crash at Ingoldisthorpe at about 5pm on the Lynn Road on Sunday.

On December 14 Ernest Sneath, 87, and wife Ellen, 84, of Fakenham Road, Taverham, were travelling in Hall Lane, Drayton, when their Volkswagen Lupo was involved in a crash.

Mr Sneath died on December 15 at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital followed by his wife on December 19.

Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed yesterday's crash or has any information linked to it. Contact Sgt Peter Howlett on 101.