ANGRY residents of Clifton Drive in Blackpool are gearing up to fight for a pedestrian crossing.

More than 500 signatures have been gathered on a petition which is to be presented, along with an application for the service, to Robin Wood, head of technical services at Blackpool Council.

Petition organiser Belle Stone, of Greystoke Court, said: "It is sad to watch from our windows as old people try to cross the road to post their letters in the nearby postbox.

"I hope we will get our wish very soon."

Ward Councillor Robert Wynne has been campaigning for the crossing for four years.

He said: "Since the road was re-surfaced traffic travels along very quickly.

"We hope the large number of pensioners and the speed of the traffic in the area will be taken into consideration - not just numerical statistics - when the decision is made."

Cynthia Gallagher, owner of the Glen-Shee Hotel and Rest Home on nearby Harrow Place, is also in support of the crossing, she added:

"It is a surprise no-one has been killed because the cars travel at such a high speed.

"When the promenade was closed for the building of the Big One, Clifton Drive was used as a main road and people seem to have continued to use it as such, even though the prom has now re-opened."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council commented: "For a crossing to be put in place the area has to undergo a flow study during which numbers of pedestrians and volume of traffic are measured.

"If the required level is not met there are special cases in which we can put through an application which considers the specific needs of the area.

"Even then the schemes are not always implemented due to a lack of funds, but if the application is received we will certainly look into the possibility of a crossing."

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