Parents drove like a bat out of hell

A PARENT dropping a child off at a Stockton Heath school drove like “a bat out of hell” according to a nearby resident.
Alan Whitfield, of West Avenue, told Stockton Heath Parish Council his road was “very busy.”
He lives opposite the entrance to Stockton Heath Primary School and is concerned about the safety of pupils.
“A parent was obviously running late and came out of the avenue like a bat out of hell,” he said.
The road was a rat run and children’s lives were at risk. Traffic measures, such as a 20 mph limit or speed ramps, were urgently needed.
Mr Whitfield had complained to a previous parish council meeting about the safety of the road. A safety barrier had since been erected on the West Avenue entrance to stop children running out of the school and into the road.
He asked: “What do speed bumps cost and what is the value of a child’s life?”
Coun Celia Jordan said the borough council was looking at making the whole of the borough a 20mph limit and that the scheme was being trialled at several places in the town.
Coun Wendy Emsley said she did not feel the issue could wait. Action to prevent accidents was needed urgently.
“We should insist on more care and attention for the children in out parish,” she said.
Members agreed to ask police to concentrate speed checks on the area and to gather evidence on traffic.