LOCAL parents have expressed their concerns for the safety of their children who they claim dice with danger to cross the road to get to school.

Mum of three Sarah Bryan, (pictured), from Richmond Road says a crossing needs to be in place near Grosvenor Road on the way to Deri View Primary School.

For most parents, pupils and residents it can take up to 10 minutes just to cross the "obstacle course" in rush hour each morning and afternoon.

She said many parents are fearful that there may be a serious accident as people try and tackle the road, which has poor visibility and no pavement.

"It also affects children who go to the Welsh School and the Catholic School. There is a crossing at the bottom and one in Mardy, but if you live on or near Richmond Road there is no way of crossing safely," she said.

"It can take up to 10 minutes just to cross the road. It affects residents as well as pupils especially on the Premier Shop corner there are lots of junctions to tackle and there is no visibility and no dropped curbs. You can't get across the road safely, and when you do finally manage it the pavement runs out," she added.

The special needs teacher is worried about her three children aged, five, three, and five months and fears the day when they will be old enough to walk to school alone.

"All we need is piece of mind, how can I rest knowing my children are trying to cross that road alone? I would like them to walk to school alone eventually but that's a worry. Every morning it's like an obstacle course."

Many worried parents have written to the council expressing their concerns.

Some parents have reported seeing the older comprehensive children running across the roads risking their safety.

"We don't mind what crossing is there as long as it's safer than what we have to do now. Even a lollipop lady would help. It would help the children feel more independent and active. I don't want another 10 years of crossing that terrible road.

"There's no cost on the children's safety. I would not be surprised if there was a serious accident there one day."

Parent Huw Griffiths has two children aged six and eight at the school also has to negotiate Hereford Road every morning, he said, "There is no real footpath in place, we have to cross two busy roads, Ross Road and Hereford Road. I used to live on Richmond Road and I know of at least two accidents.

"My daughter is eight, at an age where she could independently walk to school but we don't let it her, it's too dangerous."

One parent has even had a driver shout at her whilst trying to cross near Grosvenor Road, Ciara Bomford, who has one child in Deri View said, "I cross the road just by the junction at Grosvenor Road and very often we have to wait five minutes to cross and then we have to cross in front of cars. I've even had a driver shout at me crossing.

"There is a crossing further up the road by there is no pavement to get it."

Head teacher Maggie Teague said, "I am very concerned for a number a reasons. There are parents and children walking to school and there is going to be a serious accident, we have a situation where older children who could be walking to school on their own but can't.

"There should be a crossing, the Welsh Assembly Government are telling teachers to encourage children to walk but I can't do that.

"I would welcome a crossing because not only would children walk to school but it would also make a difference to the traffic congestion around the school."

A spokeswoman from MCC said, "The original highway improvements associated with the new school provided a range of measures including the provision of two pedestrian crossings on the Old Hereford Road. Any proposals for a further pedestrian crossing will need to be either considered as part of a future 'Safer Routes in the Community' bid to the Welsh Assembly following the development of a school travel plan identifying the need, or assessed and prioritised as part of the council's road safety strategy programme."

Several Year five pupils spoke to the Chronicle to tell us how difficult it is for the to cross the road safely. Shannon Gethings, 9, lives in the Grosvenor Road area, she said, "Sometimes we have to dash across the road because the cars go very fast, basically, they are lunatics. There is a really small path but when cars drive past we have to stand in the bush."

Megan Webb, 9, said, "It would a lot safer if we had a crossing."

James Aurelias, 9, added, "It is really busy in the afternoon, there people turning their cars and you can't get across the road."