MARKINGS on a road should be investigated following the death of a talented footballer, an inquest heard.

Daniel Jones, aged 23, from Blandford was killed in a crash on the A356 at Maiden Newton last May.

He played football for AFC Blandford and had just been named player of the year before his tragic death.

An inquest held at County Hall, Dorchester heard how Daniel and two friends had gone for a motorbike ride to West Bay on the morning of May 26.

On their way back, they decided to go via Dorchester because their usual route was closed, his friends said.

When Daniel got near to the junction with Toller Lane his motorcycle was in collision with a Skoda driven by a 75-year-old Somerset woman.

Assistant coroner for Dorset Stephen Nicholls said he would look in to making submissions to the relevant authorities after one of Daniel’s friends said he wasn’t aware of markings in the road on the approach to the junction.

Speaking after the inquest, Daniel's mum Gillian Norris said: “The signs are a massive issue.

“The inquest clearly indicates it's not as clear as it should be.

“My son wasn't a chancer and I know he wouldn't have just taken a chance.

“He believed the road ahead was safe.”

Daniel was in his third year as a defender for the Blandford club.

Manager Brian Thorne paid tribute to him after his death, calling him a “talented player” who “made the game look easy”.

Known for his love of Nando’s restaurant, “Joner” worked for his dad at Blandford Heights MOT and Service Centre.

Shocked friends left floral tributes at the scene of the crash, bearing words including “Forever in our hearts”, “One of the nicest guys I have ever met”, “Missed by so many people but never forgotten”.