COUNCILLORS will consider turning a busy street into a one-way system after the parents of a five-year-old boy, injured in a road accident, launched a safety campaign.

Kelly Spink, 29, and her partner Dominic Fay, 34, of Clarence Street, Darwen, called for action after their son Matthew's foot was injured in a collision with a car while he was playing near his home about six weeks ago.

Kelly, who also has a three-year-old son, Jack, said parents in Clarence Street had had enough of cars speeding up and down and added that children had nowhere to play in safety.

Forty residents signed a petition, 'Stop putting our children in danger', and voiced their concerns to councillors and council officers at a residents' meeting at the George pub in Darwen.

Councillors Simon Danczuk, Mike Barrett and Mary Leaver are supporting the campaign.

Coun Danczuk said: "It was a very positive meeting and a lot of residents attended.

"The council will consider implementing a one-way system in Clarence Street, as well as the possibility of putting bollards in the alleyway leading to Pitville Street from Clarence Street, so that cars cannot cut through from Hollins Grove Street. "That should reduce traffic as a lot of vehicles use Clarence Street as a rat run to avoid the traffic lights at the Hollins Grove junction."

"Residents felt they were going to get most of what they wanted and they have conducted an excellent campaign.

"We need to make progress and hopefully, by early next year, we should get a positive result when the amount of traffic using Clarence Street is much more limited than at present.

"We are also thinking about introducing a new scheme called Home Zones in Whalley Range, where the area is pedestrianised.

"If it is successful, we will consider introducing it in Clarence Street."

Kelly said: "We thought the meeting went well and most of us were quite pleased with the results.

"We did think we might be fobbed off, but councillors have seen Clarence Street as a problem and are prepared to do something about it."

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