A councillor has taken matters into his own hands in an effort to protect schoolchildren from a road crossing labelled a "death trap".
Colin Pease paid for warning signs out of his own pocket to alert drivers and protect pupils while crossing at a dropped kerb near the Premier convenience store in Middleton St George, near Darlington.
Parents in the village have urged Darlington Borough Council to move the current crossing point on the busy Middleton Lane to a safer area.
They say pupils at St George’s Church of England Academy are at risk of speeding drivers and fear a child could be seriously injured if no action is taken.
“It’s a death trap and an accident waiting to happen,” said one parent. “We’re very lucky that no one has been badly injured.”
Cllr Pease said: “This crossing point has been a long-running saga. I have put forward several potential solutions to highways at Darlington Borough Council and all have been rejected.
“The crossing is in the wrong place and is clearly not designated as a crossing. I even paid for ‘Children Crossing – Keep Clear’ signs out of my own pocket which, although the crossing patrol said they were a great help, highways said they should be removed in case there was a claim.”
The lollipop lady usually assigned to the crossing is currently off work - and the council said it has been unable to find a replacement.
Parents and children have been forced to queue along the narrow pavement and walk through traffic in her absence.
Cllr Pease said the lack of road markings means traffic backs up along Middleton Lane at peak times.
However, his suggestions for safer crossing points were rejected. He added: “This has not gone down well with residents as they feel the council is more interested in avoiding potential claims than child safety.
“I continue to revisit this problem until a suitable solution is provided and funded.”
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A Darlington Borough Council spokesperson said: “Road safety is something we take very seriously and we will always try to support parents and families to ensure children get to school safely.
“We have three mobile school crossing patrol staff, whose role is to cover absences. Unfortunately, all three are assigned elsewhere at the moment.”
St George’s Church of England Academy was contacted for comment.
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