A horrified motorist has formally complained after a police van pulled out in front of him just yards from the scene of a fatal crash.

Mum-of-two Lauren Filer, 27, died when her Peugeot 208 collided with another car in February near to the A689's turn-off for Walby Farm Park near Carlisle. Four more people – including two children – were injured.

Less than three months after the tragedy, another motorist has given the News & Star exclusive video footage of a near-miss involving a Cumbria Police vehicle as it emerged from the next junction.

The remarkable dashcam recording captures the moments when motorist Paul Kipling, 27, narrowly avoided a collision with the van.

It was presumably not attending an emergency as it displayed no flashing blue-lights.

Mr Kipling, a married father-of-one, was driving towards Carlisle, travelling at just under the 60mph limit at 4.35pm last Wednesday, in dry, sunny conditions

As he drove along the main road, steadily approaching the road's junction for Low Crosby, the police van is seen driving steadily towards junction. Incredibly, the police van failed to slow as it joined the A689, forcing Mr Kipling to brake hard.

“I was quite disgusted,” said Mr Kipling, who lives in Roadhead and drives to Carlisle every day for work.

“When I first spotted it going towards the junction I wondered whether it was going to stop and then I realised it was a police van, and had the thought that they're decent enough drivers: it will give way.

“But the van just came out in front of me.

“I had to brake hard to avoid running into it. There was a line of other cars behind me. This all happened really close to the junction where that fatal accident happened. It was all over the press.

“The police are supposed to be setting a good example for the rest of us."

He added: “I find it shocking that less than three months after that fatal crash a police driver pulls such a reckless and dangerous move right there in front of me in almost the same spot.

"I often drive along that road with our five-year-old young daughter. I've complained about what happened to Cumbria Police.”

Mr Kipling said that his experience of driving along country roads from his home in Roadhead had taught him to drive defensively.

The crash that claimed the life of Miss Filer, from Annan, triggered a huge emergency response. In the days after the tragedy, local residents said more needed to be done to improve safety on that stretch of road.

Even now, fresh floral tributes are visible at the roadside opposite the Walby Farm turn-off – a poignant reminder of what happened.

Resident Graeme Howlieson had emailed his local council about the danger posed by the road just minutes before he heard about the tragedy.

He said the fatality had come as a shock but not as a surprise.

Ms Filer’s mum Senga Garthwaite said after the crash that her daughter had been a loving daughter and mother of two young daughters, aged nine and four. “She was a bubbly character who lived life to the max," she said.

A Cumbria Constabulary spokesman said: “The footage will be examined in accordance with standard procedures to address the performance of police officers and staff.

“The Constabulary is committed to improving the service we deliver and to try and meet the expectations of those we serve. Having an open, accessible and responsive complaints system is important to us and essential to public confidence.

“If you do have a complaint we would encourage you to contact our Professional Standards Department so we can look into your concerns.”