THE mother of a nine-years-old Atherton schoolboy injured in a road accident is called for a renewing of the Green Cross Code warning in local schools.

Mother of three Carole MacNaughton of Birch Road was speaking after her son Gary, a pupil of St Philip's Junior School, ran infront of a car to join friends on the otherside of the busy road.

Gary suffered a broken femur and will be in traction for at least six weeks following an operation in the Royal Bolton Hospital.

The driver of the car is reported to be "devastated" by the incident.

Mrs MacNaughton, who has two other boys, Christopher, 12, and James, seven, said: "Obviously hearing that Gary had been knocked down came as a great shock to the whole family, but we don't in any way blame the car driver.

"Gary apparently ran into the road after seeing friends on the other side. It was a case of a lad not thinking even though he had been taught the Green Cross Code in school.

"The car driver managed to swerve otherwise Gary could have been killed, and we have spoken to the driver several times and he is devastated at the accident.

"I want schools and parents to be made aware of the dangers and to renew the Green Cross Code warning to them."

And Mrs MacNaughton is now demanding to know why a zebra crossing near to a shop on Bolton Road where Gary went had been moved recently.

"It seems they moved it the wrong way and it would have been better if they had moved it nearer the shops and turned it from a zebra crossing, which nobody notices any more, to a pelican crossing."

A council spokesman commented: "This zebra crossing referred to by Mrs MacNaughton was moved only three metres and then only for safety reasons. It wasn't at right angles on the road, and the result was that blind people, or those with very poor eyesight, started walking on the crossing but because of its former angle were prone to walk off it without realising it. We decided to rectify the situation for this reason.

'With regard to changing it to a pelican crossing we have considered this and decided that as it has been a zebra crossing for many years the people of the area, and most of the drivers using Bolton Road, know it is a zebra crossing and would prefer it to stay the way it is. We have no plans to change it at present."

Supt Malcolm Howells has also called on drivers and pedestrians to join forces to stamp out accidents.

He said: "The holidays are upon us and I would call on pedestrians and drivers to be more aware of children being now out of school. Youngsters don't always understand road safety and our job as responsible adults, as well as police officers, is to look out for them. Please help us to help our youngsters."

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