‘Trucks put school children in danger’

The trucks caused huge tailbacks along Forewood Lane in Crowhurst on Monday and on Tuesday morning, as parents tried to take their children to the village primary school.

Frustrated with the traffic, some chose to abandon their cars and walk their children to school, even though there is no pavement.

Maggie Alderson lives in Tackleway in Hastings Old Town and was taking her 10-year-old daughter and her daughter’s friends, aged 11 and eight, to Crowhurst Primary when she encountered the chaos.

She told the Observer: “There’s been the most unbelievable traffic trying to get the children to school.

“There were three or four trucks trying to get down that little road in both directions.

“We pulled over a long way, about 500 yards if not more, from the school and we walked the kids down.

“Some people just abandoned their cars at the side of the road.

“There were parents walking down with really little children and babies.

“There’s no footpaths down there.

“It’s a mess.”

Maggie said she tried to call the police to come and direct the traffic, but could not get through.

Crowhurst Road, the main route into the village from Hastings, closed on Monday for 10 weeks for Link Road-related work to be carried out, so traffic entering the village has little choice but to use Forewood Lane.

The diversion, via Telham, has added extra time to journeys.

The trucks blocking Forewood Lane belong to Network Rail, which has added to the traffic problems by carrying out work near Crowhurst station.

Maggie said of the road closure: “We knew it was going to be inconvenient but we thought we would have to accept that.

“But it has been so badly organised.

“They have made life impossible for a huge number of people by stupidity.”

She added: “If any ambulance or fire engine needed to get down that lane, they would not have a chance.

“It’s a really dangerous situation there.”

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “Because of maintenance work taking place near Crowhurst station, vehicles are accessing the railway via Forewood Lane and Station Road.

“We are conscious of the impact on local roads and have told delivery drivers to not access the site between 8.30am and 9.30am and 3.30pm and 4.30pm whenever possible.

“This will help to avoid disruption to local people and those on the daily school runs.

“There may be occasions when this is not possible but we hope it will help to reduce additional traffic on local roads at these important times of the day.”