Petition over 'dangerous' footpath in Maidenhead

Residents claim the footpath is dangerous for mothers with pushchairs

Campaigners who want a "dangerous" Berkshire footpath widened because they say it is so narrow pedestrians' lives are at risk have handed in a petition.

The footpath in Waltham Road, Woodlands Park, Maidenhead, measures 50cm (19in) wide and also holds a telegraph pole.

Campaigners say "vulnerable" people are being forced to walk in the road, used by lorries and speeding cars.

The council has previously said the petition would be considered when it was received.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said there was a "reasonable alternative" to the pavement of the other side of the road.

But Heather Scott, of Working for Woodlands Park Village Association, said the alternative footpath was "not safe for someone in a wheelchair or someone who can't walk properly.

"It's not a full pedestrian crossing, just a dropped kerb really."

Mirror hit postman

She said about 85 people had signed the petition, which was handed in to a full meeting of the council.

She said some residents had been forced to manoeuvre off the path and on to the road and a postman had recently been hit in the back by the wing mirror of a lorry.

Mothers with pushchairs were also at risk, she said.

She added that although speed humps had been put in place, the road was being used as "a rat run" for traffic trying to access the M4.

A disability officer for the council has also inspected the road, raising safety concerns.

A Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead spokesman previously said: "With respect to the pedestrian access, on each occasion the petitioner has been advised that although a short stretch of pavement on one side of Waltham Road is not suitable for wheelchairs, there is a reasonable alternative access on the other side of the road which is accessible following the introduction of dropped crossings."