STUDENTS are campaigning for changes to a dangerous crossing outside their college which has claimed two lives in the last 18 months and caused several near misses.

The two victims at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College were killed in separate accidents outside their Barons Court campus, on a crossing which runs across the busy A4 on a highly congested junction.

Thousands of young people use the crossing daily, and campaigners were this week collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition to present to Transport for London. They are calling for urgent changes before another life is lost.

Sofia Lopes-Cunha, leading the campaign as the college's newlyelected student union president, said near-misses are happening at the busy junction of Talgarth Road and Gliddon Road on an almost daily basis.

She said: "The main danger is the fact that the crossing is right next to the college. The students have music in their ears, they're talking on the phone and calling across to each other, and they could be hurrying because they're late, so they're more prone to accidents.

"We want to gather as many signatures as possible to show TfL that the current crossing is badly in need of updating, taking into account the number of students and members of the public who use the island at peak times.

"TfL needs to be aware of this and think about what it can do to improve student safety."

Volunteers dressed as green men were on hand on Tuesday morning to hammer home the road safety message to students arriving at the college and get them to sign the petition.

College principal Paula Whittle said: "We are wholly committed to keeping learners safe and are constantly reviewing ways of mitigating risk and putting in place measures to provide a safe and secure teaching and learning environment.

"With over 7,000 students at this campus alone, we are keen to investigate ways of working jointly with Transport for London to prevent further incidents or fatalities."

The college is also pushing for greater road safety awareness at its three other campuses in Ealing, Acton and Southall.

A Transport for London spokesman said plans to alter the crossing had been hampered in the past because of the high cost of dealing with the tangle of pipes and cables under the road surface.

She said: "Transport for London is investigating a range of options for improving road safety and facilities for pedestrians at the junction of Talgarth Road and Gliddon Road.

"Once a viable and cost effective scheme design has been agreed and funding secured, TfL can begin work on site."