A RESIDENT campaigning for a crossing on a busy road says it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt trying to cross the street.

Marie Dowling is appealing for a zebra or pelican crossing to be built on York Road in Haxby. She said children from three nearby schools, Ralph Butterfield Primary, Headlands Primary and Joseph Rowntree secondary school, have to cross the road on their way to classes.

The 51-year-old, who has lived in the area for more than 15 years, started a petition to City of York Council after a loved one was clipped by a car on the road. Luckily there were not seriously injured but she said: “It’s bedlam in the morning, it’s a really busy time of day and I know there have been near misses. It’s just a constant worry. There must be about a mile with nowhere for anybody to cross. Why haven’t we got this? It should have been in place a long time ago.

“You have Haxby Hall care home on the corner. Anybody that’s not quick – you don’t get much of a gap – just going out to post a letter can take ages if you need to cross to the postbox. There’s a play park and a scout hut nearby, so there are quite a lot of people who cross regularly. It’s an obstacle course with cars parked on the road.”

Marie has nearly collected 1,000 signatures, the number needed to force councillors to debate a petition.

Department for Transport data shows there were 15 minor accidents reported on the road during the past three years.

Ward councillor Ian Cuthbertson said: “It’s only a matter of time before there’s a serious accident.

"It’s a perennial worry.

“I’m very pleased the petition has got so many signatures.

"People don’t drive particularly dangerously.

"I won’t say there’s an incident every day but there are a couple of awkward junctions and people take their lives in their hands getting across. We hope very much to bring this to the highways engineers’ attention.”

To view the petition visit goo.gl/YS69b3.