Banner-waving parents and children unite for Operation Slowdown

Mums and dads walked around roads in Thomas A'Becket on Monday morning for "Operation Slowdown" '“ their bid to get traffic-calming measures installed along roads used as rat runs by impatient drivers.

The march was organised by the Becket Residents' Association (BRA) and was one of three to be held this week '“ national Walk to School Week.

Mum Tess Freestone, whose two girls, Emily, nine, and Louise, seven, joined the march carrying posters they had made themselves, said: "Roads in this area are used by drivers who do not want to wait at the Thomas A'Becket lights. They come haring down the roads and this has always been a big issue for us. We want to see something done before there is a serious accident."

Near neighbour Phil Turner added: "We cannot sit back and do nothing. We have put in a proposal for junction tables because a lot of local people were not in favour of speed bumps. We were told by the county council that there are hundreds of requests for traffic calming and the only way our request would get to the top of the queue would be if there was a serious accident."

Up to 40 parents and children gathered early on Monday and marched around roads including Chantry, Highdown, Highfield, and Northfield.

Another march took place on Wednesday morning and a further one was planned for Friday. It is something local people, especially parents whose children attend the nearby schools, have been campaigning for since the residents' association was formed three years ago.

Peter Green, West Sussex county councillor for the area, joined the group on Monday. He said: "Traffic in the roads around this area has speeded up, as it has done on most roads. It is good that residents have organised these marches and done something about their concerns."

County council spokesman Nigel Galloway said: "We can sympathise with residents who are troubled by the speed and volume of vehicles in these roads. Demand for traffic calming far exceeds our ability to supply them.

"As with many cases, this does seem to be a case of where a small section of the community can make life very unpleasant for the majority.

"The county council's budget for traffic management currently only permits us to treat three to four sites per year.

"The sites are therefore prioritised on roads and areas where accidents are currently occurring. Our records show that, over the previous three years, there have been no recorded injury accidents in these four roads.

"Our records also show that there are many other roads throughout the county with a high accident rate and our attention must therefore be focused on these other locations first.

"School travel plans are an initiative that aim to reduce car use for the school journey, improve road safety and raise awareness of the impact of transport on environmental and personal health. Thomas A'Becket First School has developed a school travel plan with the help of the county council. Should further issues be raised that meet with the aims of the initiative, appropriate action can be considered."