Scores back mum's call for better Battle road restrictions

Yvonne Clarke, of Wellington Gardens, was hit in the right hand by a lorry last month in North Trade Road after it mounted the pavement trying to get past parked cars.

She had gone to a friend's house to get a spare key after locking herself out when the accident happened.

Since then she has launched a petition to get double yellow lines put on the left hand side of North Trade Road or white lines to prevent parking between 7am-7pm, along with higher kerbs.

She said: "I have got nearly 200 signatures so far. The road and pavement here are far too narrow for the lorries to use.

"There have been 23 near misses on the pavement since the beginning of this year. Last Friday there were cars all over and were literally inches away from each other as neither would give way to each other.

"Someone will be killed soon unless something is done."

Yvonne, who works as a waitress at Benji's Coffee Shop, was signed off work for four weeks after the accident.

Her arm was put in a sling and she spent seven hours in A&E at the Conquest Hospital and, after several x-rays, doctors told her they thought she had two cracked bones.

She was put in temporary plaster for a week and is now in a splint for another three weeks.

Yvonne said: "I have been back to the hospital and will have to go for intensive physiotherapy. It could take months to heal properly."

The mum, who has lived in Battle for around 40 years, says her 10-year-old son Aaron feels unsafe walking down North Trade Road.

The accident has meant Yvonne cannot drive, and is therefore unable to take her 23-year-old daughter, who has severe learning difficulties, to day care at the Conquest.

She added: "In the morning, when the kids are going to school, all the cars and lorries are going on the pavement because no one will give way.

"The lollipop lady has had several near misses.

"There was a gentleman who had his ear clipped by a bus and an elderly lady who had her elbow clipped on the pavement."

Kathryn Field, county councillor for Battle and Crowhurst, is supporting Yvonne's campaign for parking restrictions.

She said there were a lot of bad mannered drivers who were too impatient to wait for appropriate spaces in the traffic.

Sgt Dan Russell, of Battle Police, said vehicles mounting the pavement at North Trade Road was a 'regular occurence'.

He said: "We will continue to work with residents to ensure improved road safety and will be working with our partners to bring this about.

"We are looking at potentially getting a white line or double yellow lines."

If anyone wants to sign Yvonne's petition they can find it at Budgens, Abbey Pets, Benji's, and Battle and Langton School.