Roadworks a threat to children, say residents

But the county council says there is nothing it can do except advise parents to make use of the second school crossing patrol.

Worse, the county says Sidley has another five weeks of misery to come as the roadworks continue.

Pupils attending Sidley Community Primary and All Saints Church of England Primary face a twice-daily battle with vehicles backing-up from temporary traffic lights.

The lower pedestrian crossing has been temporarily closed because of the works. Now the situation has been worsened because the second crossing has had to be taken out of use.

Pat Tidd says the situation is almost impossible: "Two times a day trying to get children to and from school it is murder. Surely the police could put on a Special at school times?"

Catherine Otterwell, 79, says old people are also being put at risk.

"It s dreadful. You should have been up there this morning. I was nearly killed! I was trying to cross near this mother with a pushchair and a car just shot past.

"They should never have closed both crossings. There were people trying to get across to the schools with children.

"I spoke to the road safety people. Someone had taken the decision to close both crossing and that was that... I am an Income Tax payer and a Community Charge payer. Why should we have people sitting on their backsides in an office doing damn-all when we can t get across the road in safety? I use the shops in Sidley. We want to keep our shops going but we can t get to them."

Police say the situation is a county council responsibility. The county is both highway authority and local education authority.

A county spokesman said gas supply company Transco s essential pipework was being phased. One pedestrian crossing had been closed but the work had now reached a point where as highway authority the county had to close the second because of the proximity of the work.

"We would like to apologise to the public for the inconvenience. These works are going on for another five weeks and if the public could walk that extra distance to use the other patrol it would help."