Mum’s fury at near miss’

LITTLEPORT mother-of-two Michelle Palmer fears for her young children s safety after her daughter was almost run down on a school crossing. Three-year-old Amy was nearly hit by a car as she walked across the zebra crossing near Littleport s Millfield Prim

LITTLEPORT mother-of-two Michelle Palmer fears for her young children's safety after her daughter was almost run down on a school crossing.

Three-year-old Amy was nearly hit by a car as she walked across the zebra crossing near Littleport's Millfield Primary School.

A lorry had stopped to allow Amy and her mother to cross but a car driver travelling in the opposite direction ignored the fact that the youngster was in the middle of the road and sped past.

"I just grabbed Amy in time," said Michelle from her home in The Crescent. "She obviously saw the lorry stop and thought it was safe to cross. She could have so easily been killed.

"If I hadn't pulled her back the car would have hit her. The driver totally disregarded the fact that Amy was on the crossing."

Michelle and Amy were on their way to collect older brother, Daniel, eight, from school when the incident happened in Ely Road near its junction with Grange Lane.

They had arrived five minutes before the school's lollipop crossing patrol.

"I went into school in tears and asked the staff what could be done," said Michelle.

Ely Police Sector Commander Insp Adam Gallop said: "If drivers are passing schools at any time of day, and particularly when children are going to and from school, they must drive more cautiously.

"It is not enough just sticking to the speed limit - they must slow down.

"But there is also a lesson here for parents too. They must make sure their children are not crossing the road until it is safe to do so.

"It is a duty of responsibility for both drivers and parents."

He added that Littleport's Police Community Support Officer would investigate the incident.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said that the zebra crossing was paid for by developer's cash and, at the time, residents did not want a pelican crossing.

He added that traffic calming measures had also been put in on the road which has resulted in traffic slowing down.

"We have not had any other complaints about this stretch of road and neither has the school crossing patrol," he said.