WORRIED parents whose children have to dodge traffic on a dangerous road to get to school are still waiting for a zebra crossing despite years of campaigning.

A 73-signature petition was submitted to Hillingdon Council requesting a crossing between Ferncroft Avenue and Woodlands Avenue, on Field End Road, Eastcote.

Parents of children at Newnham School, in Newnham Avenue, and residents of the area are in favour of the proposal but they cannot agree on its position.

Parent Gabby Fullbrook, of Ferncroft Avenue, said: "It has long been recognised that Field End Road is dangerous. The accident toll is evidence enough to support this.

"Children and their parents have to utilise the existing traffic island at the top of Ferncroft Avenue as a refuge when they are crossing to get to school."

A zebra crossing was planned as part of a Local Safety Scheme drawn up by Hillingdon Council last year, but it was never installed due to a small number of objections.

A petition meeting was held last Wednesday (July 15) to look at three possible sightings for the crossing and Councillor Keith Burrows, cabinet member for planning and transportation, decided to go with option three.

Officers now need to look at this option, which is to install a crossing at the southern arm of Ferncroft Avenue, before reporting back to Mr Burrows.

Ms Fullbrook said: "In my view option three seems to be just a poor effort to appease a few residents who object to having a crossing outside their front doors. Surely if you live on a main road bus stops and crossings are to be expected.

"On option three will inevitably cause further delay and if access is to be hindered in the service road and if an arm of Ferncroft Avenue is to be closed there will doubtlessly be objections from residents in that affected section of Field End Road.

" All this option is doing is pushing the perceived problem down the road

"I wonder which will be first, a crossing or a fatality."

Another parent, Mel Hindhaugh-Willis, said: "We are disappointed with the result of the meeting. This has taken over a year to get here and in that time one little girl from our school has been knocked down."