A SIX-year campaign for safer roads near two Poulton schools ended in celebrations this week.

After 12 people were injured in a five-year period - most of them children - a zebra-crossing, red speed-bar markings, road humps and red junction tables have been installed on three roads near Baines High and Carr Head Primary schools.

Carr Head parent-governor Judith Hughes said the road to success started when she and other parents took their concerns to Wyre MP Hilton Dawson.

He organised a public meeting, a 2,000-name petition was raised and finally Lancashire County and Wyre Borough gave the go-ahead.

"I have a seven-year-old daughter at Carr Head school," said Mrs Hughes, "I started to campaign out of sheer frustration at being unable to cross the road.

"I'd like to thank Hilton Dawson for all his support and Lancashire and Wyre councils for listening - the results are tremendous, we're all very pleased and relieved."

Wyre councillor Geoff Horrocks, chair of governors at Carr Head, with a son at Baines, said: "I'm absolutely delighted it's been installed at long last.

"My prime concern was the safety of the children going to school - this area's a regular rat-run, with three streams of traffic all going different directions - at rush-hour the congestion is horrific."

Wyre and Lancashire shared the £22,000 bill and Lancashire transport vice-chairman Coun Brian Johnson said: "This is a good example of partnership - we listened to the residents' concerns and everybody responded."

Hilton Dawson was grateful to both councils: "This has been a problem of very long-standing, but when it was brought firmly to the attention of the county they responded tremendously - it's a great credit to them and to Wyre borough and to the residents who worked so hard to bring this about."

Julie Booth, a mum who happened to use the crossing with her two young children when the councillors were there, said: "It's excellent - we've spent ages trying to cross the road before this was installed."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.