CAMPAIGNING villagers launched a week of action in a bid to prevent a child getting seriously injured or killed on the road they say is an ‘unofficial Hereford bypass’ near their school.

Mordiford residents erected placards and signs around their village this week, warning motorists to slow down and let children safely cross the busy road which runs from Hereford to the village.

They fear that a ‘fatality is waiting to happen’ as pedestrians – especially children and elderly residents – try to navigate the village’s few footpaths, with heavy traffic during school drop-off and collection times.

Former lollipop lady, Emily Beavan, helped children outside the school for just over a year. But she resigned from the role after fears for her safety and fumes from the high volume of cars.

The 40-year-old, who lives in Hereford and has a child in year six at the school, said around 150 cars passed through the village within half an hour.

“There is a need for a more visible and permanent crossing as well as a need for pavements as there’s none on the school side of the road,” she said.

“There were no accidents or incidents while I was on duty but it was constantly on my mind that it was a matter of time before something did happen.”

She said motorists often lost their temper with her, frustrated at being asked to stop and wait for children to cross and she was often skimmed by wing-mirrors.

Another frustrated parent, Al Watson, 55, said the daily walk to school with his two children is often dangerous.

“Parents walking their children to school face regular abuse and foul language from frustrated motorists,” he said.

“It has been calculated that 90 vehicles are associated with school drop-offs at Mordiford. This is tiny compared to traffic counts of 800 per hour on the Lugg Bridge Road alone. Still the school is blamed. Serious proposals have been made to move the school out of Mordiford. Apart from the matter of £3.2m in cost, we feel that the school binds our community together.

Should we move our houses too in case they are in the way?”

Campaigners are urging motorists to treat their village and residents with consideration and are demanding proper footpaths and road crossings.

“We ask all motorists who don’t want to be part of the twice-daily Mordiford ratrun to write to their MP and Herefordshire Council to demand action on a sustainable traffic management plan for Hereford city that brings us into the 21st century,” Mr Watson added.

The week of action launched on Monday and continues until tomorrow, when residents will be handing out flyers to motorists.

Children at Mordiford CE Primary School also created posters.

In a statement, Paul Rone, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for transport and roads, said he agrees there is an issue with high volumes of traffic in the area, having spent some time with residents in Mordiford including a walk to school with children, parents and community representatives.

“This is compounded by the fact that vehicles do use the village as a short cut into and out of the city, and this level of traffic is exacerbated by school traffic as well as times of bad weather,” he said.

Some of the solutions proposed to Balfour Beatty Living Places include using markings and features to alter the visible environment for road users, to indicate that they are entering a village with school area with pedestrian movement.

“Other proposals include further “off road” parking provision adjacent the school,” he said.

“These solutions will need time to agree and progress.

"However, I am committed to working with residents and the ward councillor for Mordiford to look at improving road safety. As always, in these times of budgetary restrictions, these will be dependent on available resources.”