A SENIOR councillor is to take up the safety of a key town centre road with Lancashire County Council highways bosses after a fatal accident this week.

On Wednesday and elderly woman has been airlifted to hospital with head injuries after being hit by a bus.near the Irwell Medical Centre in Rochdale Road, Bacup.

Margaret Wright ,who was in her 70s, from the town died the following day.

Now Rossendale East’s County Councillor Jimmy Eaton is rising the issue of safety on the key road on the way out of Bacup town centre with Lancashire highway bosses

He is particularly concerned about the positioning of the zebra crossing between the medical centre and its car park on the other side of the highway.

It is situated between the entrance and exit to parking area with 60 yards of railings preventing immediate access to the pavement.

This means people have to walk 30 yards on road carriageway in one direction or the other to reach their vehicles.

Cllr Eaton, who also represents Greensclough ward on Rossendale Borough Council, already raised the issue verbally with new county council Cabinet member for Transport Keith Iddon to arrange further with him and LCC highways officials next week.

The road was closed for four hours after the fatal collision while an investigation took place.

Cllr Eaton said: “I am very concerned about the safety of this road.

“Many people think, as I do, that the zebra crossing in is in the wrong place.

“It leads to a set of railings with no gap to get to the pavement forcing pedestrians to walk 30 metres one way or the other along the a carriageway to get to the car park or safety.

“I am not saying this caused the accident but it is an issue of safety that needs looking at by Lancashire County Council.

“I have already spoken to Cllr Iddon and will meet him and highways officials next week to discuss this and possibly moving the crossing.

“We believe it should be thirty yards down the road by the vehicle entrance to the car park.

A police investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the collision is underway.

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting log 497 of July 12th