Boy's letter to PM prompts action on school crossing

Ten-year-old Roman delivered his letter to 10 Downing Street alongside his father and the Labour MP for Suffolk Coastal, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has publicly praised a 10-year-old safer roads campaigner and backed his plea to get a crossing installed at his school.

Roman was crossing the road outside his primary school in Trimley St Martin near Felixstowe, Suffolk, in February, when he was hit by a van, suffering a fractured hip and bruising.

On 15 November he was invited by Labour Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter to deliver a letter calling for improved road safety outside schools to 10 Downing Street.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir thanked Roman for his letter, telling MPs: "What an incredible young boy."

The prime minister told Parliament he had read Roman's letter and agreed with his call for safer roads

Riddell-Carpenter began by asking the prime minister to back her Safer at the Gates campaign and to call on Suffolk County Council to "do the right thing and re-review the road and put the right safety measures in place outside Trimley St Martin and other schools in my constituency".

Sir Keir responded by thanking Roman for his letter, which he "took the time to read last night".

He read an excerpt from the letter, which said: "This accident wouldn't have happened if there was a safe place to cross the road.

"I'm concerned for other children's safety and I don't want another accident like mine to happen again to anyone else."

Sir Keir told MPs: "I totally agree with him."

"Roman, I've asked ministers to work with all the right people to look at his school and get a safe crossing in place."

Sir Keir also said the roads minister would be happy to meet with Riddell-Carpenter "to discuss the road safety strategy".

MP Riddell-Carpenter began campaigning on the issue of safer crossings back in July

Roman said it had been a bit nerve wracking standing on the steps of Number 10

Roman said recently he was doing "much better", but still struggled with some pain in his hips and had been left "nervous" around roads.

Riddell-Carpenter launched a campaign in July calling for "urgent action" to improve road safety outside schools as she felt children were at serious risk every day.

Suffolk County Council said previously, while Roman's school did not meet the criteria for a crossing patrol, child road safety was "paramount", while the Department for Transport (DfT) said its Road Safety Strategy was in development.