MORE than 400 people have signed a petition calling for a crossing near a Clevedon school and it is hoped the figure can be doubled.

Parents, teachers and residents near Mary Elton Primary School want to see a pedestrian crossing installed in Strode Road, near to the back entrance of the school, to allow children to get there safely.

Petition organiser, Debbie Henley, has two children at the school, aged four and eight.

She said: “It is just a nightmare trying to cross that road at school time.

“Drivers hardly ever stop to let you cross and, when they do, you sometimes get stuck on the island in the middle of the road until someone else lets you go.

“From doing the petition, everyone I have spoken to has said the road needs something there.”

The petition is being supported by North Somerset councillor Chris Blades and copies have been placed in Halfords and Focus in Strode Road and West End Post Office in Old Church Road in the hope of gaining even more support.

Debbie, aged 37 of Patch Croft, said: “We have already got 470 signatures.

“A lot of the teachers at the school have signed it and I have the support of the headteacher, Mr James.

“I eventually hope to gain about 800 signatures.”

Currently, a new building is being created at the school site for St Andrew’s Sunbeams Preschool to move into because its current base at St Andrew’s Church Centre in Old Church Road is no longer fit for purpose.

Once complete, this will see an extra 50 young children travelling to and from Mary Elton Primary School on a daily basis.

Debbie added: “Once the nursery opens we will be one of the biggest primary schools in Clevedon and still have nothing to help them cross the road.”

Highways Officers from North Somerset Council have been to assess the site to see how suitable it would be for a crossing.

A spokesman said: “We are currently investigating whether a crossing is justified.

“We will be looking at factors such as the number of pedestrians crossing the road, where they cross the road and the number of vehicles using the road.

“Once the information has been collated it will be given to executive member Councillor Elfan Ap Rees for consideration.”