A Leominster mum is calling on local drivers to take heed of pedestrians using the town's newest zebra crossings after her four-year old daughter was nearly mown down by a car.

Rhiannon Pugh, was walking home from a local nursery with daughter Abigail, her younger child Jessica, two, and another four-year-old girl, when they were involved in a close shave at Etnam Street.

Safety fears

Cars coming from the South Street direction stopped to let the group walk over the zebra crossing by the museum. Halfway across, Abigail was at the front of the group when a white Ford Escort van coming from the station direction failed to halt.

"I screamed at Abigail to stop and thank God she did," said Rhiannon. "The van came within a foot of her and just carried on."

She added: "I am trying to teach my children to use the crossings safely but some drivers are driving with their eyes shut."

Safety concerns were raised last year when the Etnam Street crossing and another at South Street were installed. Both are the flashing beacon (zebra) type rather than traffic light controlled pelican crossings.

Rhiannon Pugh says that while some Leominster drivers are very considerate some seem blind when it comes to pedestrians.

She has asked the Hereford Times to publicise her plea to local motorists: "Please, please, slow down and stop at the crossings."