Renewed call for zebra crossing outside Hinckley school

Parents want a crossing on the road outside St Peter's School

Fresh calls have been made for a zebra crossing to improve safety near a Hinckley primary school.

Campaigners said they wanted the crossing for St Peter's Catholic Primary School after incidents in which pupils were nearly run over.

Leicestershire County Council has proposed a number of safety measures in the area.

However, parents and councillors said they were disappointed no crossing was among the plans.

The council said it believed a school crossing patrol person, already in place outside the London Road site, was the best way to keep children safe.

Other agreed safety measures include additional "school keep clear" markings, which could be watched by council cameras to ensure drivers were not ignoring them.

Some on-street parking bays are also being moved to nearby Castle Street to try to reduce traffic outside the school at peak times.

The package of measures is expected to cost about £15,000.

'Near misses'

Liberal Democrat county councillor Michael Mullaney told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "There are safety concerns. There have been a number of near misses involving pupils and parents going to the school.

"While I welcome the fact there will be some safety improvements at the site, I, and many residents, believe there still needs to be a safe permanent crossing at St Peter's School. I therefore urge the county council to rethink."

Ozzy O'Shea, county council cabinet member for highways and transport, previously said: "Being escorted across the road by a school crossing patrol person really helps support safety outside a school.

"We're building in that extra protection by improving the general road layout around the school. We're also going to look again at talking to the school about all aspects of road safety which should help alleviate many parents' concerns."