MUMS with prams need no longer risk their lives walking along busy Eastway - thanks to six years of hard slog by two Preston councillors.

Sherwood councillors Marie Milne and Jennifer Greenhalgh have finally persuaded the Commission for New Towns to stump up £87,000 for a footpath from Watling Street Road to Asda, in Preston.

They say parents struggle to push prams along the muddy grass verges on Eastway and end up walking in the road dodging cars and heavy goods vehicles..

The councillors took up the fight on behalf of the residents in 1990 and they are delighted that at last they have won.

Jennifer Greenhalgh said: "Every time mums with prams walk along Eastway they risk life and limb. It used to be a distributory road, but now there is a supermarket, industrial estate and new houses - a footpath is essential." She added: "I am absolutely over the moon that the CNT has agreed to provide the cash. It just shows that if you persevere, the job will get done."

Marie Milne added: "It was getting to the stage were we thought we would never get the footpath. It is the most common complaint I have from people knocking on my door."

The new footpath will run from Watling Street Road to Asda, winding along Anderton Way and Longsands.

A spokesperson for CNT said: "We will supply the £87,000 cash for the footpath, it is now up to LCC's highways department as to when work will commence."

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