THE father of a schoolboy who was knocked down on a Preston street, are calling for traffic calming measures to stop it being used as a rat run.

Aarron Timmers, seven, of Inkerman Street, is lucky to be alive after being hit by a car in nearby Brook Street.

The youngster, who spent three days in the Royal Preston Hospital having x-rays on his leg and head, suffered a broken leg and cuts and bruises to his face and body.

Now his father Nico, 34, is calling for something to be done before a child is killed.

He said: "How long will it be before a child is killed?

"Aarron is not the first child to be hit around here. Christopher, my step-son, has been run over and friends of ours have been involved in accidents. The area is very dangerous with cars parked on double yellow lines and heavy traffic."

His concerns have been taken up by Tulketh Ward Councillor Margaret McManus. She said: "The roads in question should have a speed limit of 20 mph.

"Inkerman Street and Brook Street are used as short cuts and have a lot of buses and heavy goods vehicles travelling down them.

"The problem is money. It takes time to change the limits on the streets, but it needs to be done."

There are currently no traffic calming measures on Brook Street and no plans for any to be implemented. Peter Corless, assistant director of engineering at Preston City Council, said: "There have been rounds of 20mph zones which are going through the process for funding and Inkerman Street is on the list.

"Ideally every residential street should be 20mph, but it's costly and we have to prioritise where there have been accidents. Brook Street is a main road and wouldn't be in this zone."

Because of his injuries he has not returned to Roebuck Primary School for the start of the new term.

"I think he has been very lucky," said Nico.

"If the car hadn't been so near traffic lights I think it would have been going much faster and Aarron could have been very seriously hurt.

"I think he has learnt his lesson."