Horsham zebra crossing labelled 'a disaster waiting to happen'

Local residents say that drivers frequently fail to stop at the crossing which is situated at the entrance to Tesco Extra in Broadbridge Heath.

Musician Tristan Mackay and his wife Sarah regularly use the crossing while walking their two children aged nine and six from their home in Wickhurst Green to Shelley Primary School.

"The crossing is on the primary school walking route from the new Broadbridge Heath housing estates to the main primary, secondary and early learning schools,” said Tristan.

“Drivers go across the crossing at high speeds even when people are mid-crossing. I am not exaggerating when I say that every morning a driver crosses while my children and I are crossing.

"Having spoken with several other parents, it is clear their experiences are the same.

“A child on a bike was struck on the crossing last year, and the minor speed bumps that were put in have never worked, but also have now been flattened.”

And, he added: “I’m surprised that no-one else has been knocked over on it yet. This is a child tragedy waiting to happen.”

He said his eldest daughter had been asking lately if she could walk back by herself from school. “I’ve told her she can’t because the crossing is just so dangerous,” said Tristan, a singer-songwriter who has had a couple of albums at the top of iTunes.

He said he had highlighted the dangerous crossing several times with the manager of Tesco and had written to Tesco’s CEO but had received ‘no response.’

He added: “Something needs to change before a child is seriously injured.”

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West Sussex County Council says that the crossing – beside the Tesco petrol station – is not on the ‘public highway’ and that the matter should be taken up with Tesco’s.

A council spokesperson said: “We can only advise that dangerous or anti-social driving are police matters and this behaviour should be reported to Sussex Police through Operation Crackdown.”

Tesco has been approached for comment.