WORRIED parents and campaigners have launched a petition calling for Wiltshire Council to make safety improvements to the pedestrian crossing near Newtown Primary School.

Already, more than 350 people have signed the petition.

The move follows an accident last Thursday where a child was in a collision with a vehicle.

Cllr Chris Hoar, of Trowbridge Town Council, said: “Yesterday, we had yet another accident where a young child was run over and I decided to set up a petition to try to emphasis the depth of public feeling about this and pile maximum pressure on Wiltshire Council to actually act.

“Using the ‘proper’ channels hasn’t worked so far. This petition will help us add more pressure on Wiltshire Council to finally make the crossing safe.”

Local parents agreed that the crossing is dangerous because of speeding and the lack of visibility.

Lisa Hartley, 43, who lives in Newtown with husband Mark, 54, and twins Noah and George, aged eight, said: “There have been so many near misses and four people have been knocked down on the crossing.

“We had a two-car crash near the Methodist Church and a year ago one vehicle took the corner too fast and overturned.

“Vehicles regularly speed down here at 60-70mph, particularly motorcycles. The road is little more than a racetrack.”

Mrs Hartley added: “The crossing needs to be raised to slow speeding traffic and make crossing safer for the people, especially Newtown Primary School children, the elderly and disabled people who use it.

“However, simply moving the crossing will not remedy the speeding of traffic, which has caused several accidents in the past two years, during which time myself and other residents have been lobbying our local councillor to find a solution in the form of a raised crossing. Wiltshire Council please action this before there is a fatality on the road.”

Another Newtown resident, Rebecca Millard, said: “Cars speed up and down Newtown, it’s only a matter of time before someone is serious injured or killed. The current zebra crossing is not good enough.”

Ali Dauncey added: “I live in the Newtown area and have been concerned about the safety of this crossing for some time. Now a child has been hurt because action wasn’t taken sooner.”

Cllr Hoar added: “Throughout the whole Newtown area of Trowbridge there is a need for traffic calming measures; however the zebra crossing on Newtown is incredibly dangerous.

“Situated outside the primary school and acting as the main crossing for young children whilst simultaneously on a junction where vehicles turn directly on to the low visibility crossing there are near misses every day.

“In addition to this, in times of low volume traffic vehicles speed across the crossing without realising its there until it’s too late.

“The crossing needs to be raised to increase visibility and act as a traffic calming measure or moved to a place where it does not border on a junction and where it is visible to all road users.

“There has already been accidents that have resulted in hospital treatment; it is only a matter of time before someone loses their life, perhaps even a young child.

“Wiltshire Council must start taking this situation seriously and act before that terrible outcome happens.”

To add your name, go to http://chng.it/fQhpYrv4mv