A DRIVER who knocked down and killed a little boy on a school crossing is to face court proceedings after claims he went through a red light, an inquest heard.

The Burnley hearing was told of allegations that the "green man" was showing and the bleep sounding on the pelican crossing when seven-year-old Javid Ali was hit by a Jeep driven by Terence Yates, in Blackburn Road, Haslingden, in May of this year. Mr Yates, who had been drinking but was not over the limit, will appear in court on November 1, accused of driving without due care and attention.

Accident investigator PC John Sutcliffe said Mr Yates was given a roadside breath test and it raised the question as to whether the alcohol he had had may have affected his judgement. Coroner David Smith recorded a verdict of accidental death on the little boy, of Parkinson Street, Haslingden, who died at Bury General Hospital. His mother ,Salaya Bibi Ali,had been on her way to pick him up from St James's School, Haslingden, when a friend told her of the tragedy. Pathologist Dr W D Salman said Javid died of head injuries.

The school's lollipop lady Mrs Iris Roy, also a non-teaching assistant, of Carr Hall Street, Haslingden, said Javid, who at one time would always hold her hand, had stood next to her on the pavement and she had pressed the crossing button.

She said she waited until the green man showed and put one foot on the crossing. She saw the Jeep approaching from her right, from Accrington, realised it wasn't going to stop and called to the child to stay where he was. The little boy then "moved fast," not walking but not running, into the road and had only just got on the crossing when the vehicle hit him.

Mrs Roy said she told the driver he had just gone through a red light but he said he hadn't. She claimed Mr Yates did not attempt to slow down and she was positive the green man was showing. She said: "Besides the children's lives, I have got my own life to think of." Young mum Vicky Carr, of Chapel Street, Haslingden, said Mrs Roy asked Javid to wait but he "sort of just ran" onto the crossing. She said she was quite sure the green man was showing and the bleep sounding when Javid went onto the crossing.

PC Mohammed Quraishi told the inquest he formally cautioned Mr Yates, who told him he had not gone through a red light. He later interviewed the driver, who said he had been doing 30mph, the light was on green to traffic and he saw a group of about five children with the crossing lady.

Mr Yates claimed as he approached within about five yards, the lights turned to amber and a small child darted off the kerb in front of him.

He said he tried to avoid him but there was nothing he could do.

PC Sutcliffe said the pelican lights were working properly, there were no tyre marks from the accident vehicle and he found nothing to suggest the vehicle passed over the child.

He said if the green man was showing, as Mrs Roy and Ms Carr suggested, and he had no reason to disbelieve them, the red light to traffic had to be showing.