A PRE-school child was in a collision with a car in a village which has long had an issue with heavy traffic during school drop-off and collection times.

The child was hit by a passing vehicle in Mordiford this morning as children were heading to school and pre-school in the village.

The driver was driving slowly and although shocked, the child appeared uninjured and was taken to A&E as a precaution.

The child was not a pupil of Mordiford CE Primary School but the school has long called-for a safer crossing for pupils who have to cross the busy road through the village.

Headteacher Kerri Finney said: "It is something that has been concerning the school for a long time. We are situated on what is now a very busy road, particularly around pinch points in the day, particularly at commuter times and more so in the morning.

"In the morning it is a commuter road and can be very busy."

As reported by the Hereford Times in 2015 a former lollipop lady stepped down from her role due to concerns for her own safety and fumes from the high volume of cars.

The school does currently have a crossing patrol officer who is on duty from 8.30am to 8.50am, and 2.45pm to 3.10pm. But Miss Finney said more needs to be done.

She said: "He does make a difference in terms of families feeling safe. But they are vulnerable. It is a very busy place to cross.

"There isn't an official crossing. The signage around the school is fairly limited."

Miss Finney said it remains a priority for the school to work in partnership with other agencies, including Herefordshire Council.

She said as well as an official crossing and better signage, she would like to see railings at the end of the footpath and a safe drop-off zone.

Miss Finney added: "None of these things are a solution on their own. It has got to be a series of things and it needs to be done soon."

The incident has been reported to the police.