STUDENTS from a Ribble Valley school have created a petition calling for a safe crossing point on a nearby main road.

Around 600 signatures have been collected by St Augustine’s RC High School in Billington, which is calling on Lancashire County Council to create a zebra or pelican crossing on Whalley Road.

The campaign was started by Year Eight student Joseph Taylor, 13, and backed by the school council.

Last year Joseph successfully lobbied the council into installing a 20mph warning sign on the approach to the school after first writing to his local Ribble Valley councillor, Ged Mirfin and the leader of the council, Cllr Stuart Hirst.

The issue was passed to county councillor Alan Schofield who took it up with the highways department and pressed for the introduction of the traffic calming measure.

Whalley Road currently does not have a designated crossing point near the school.

In October Cllr Mirfin was air-lifted to Royal Blackburn Hospital after colliding with a car while walking his son Harry to St Leonard’s Primary School down the road.

The Billington resident suffered a broken leg in two places and a serious head injury that doctors were concerned could have long-lasting affects.

Following the incident Cllr Mirfin started campaigning for more safety measures to be introduced.

Head teacher Michael Wright said: “ At the moment the children are crossing at various points and it’s a very busy road especially at peak times.

“Since Cllr Mirfin’s accident last year the issue of the safety of the road near the school has been discussed a lot here.”