A mother today told how she and her two children take their lives in their hands every time they walk to school.

Helen Lally, of Bentley Road, Weeley Heath, makes the journey with Rebecca, six, and Thomas, four, each day to St Andrew's Church of England School in the village

Obstacle course - Helen Lally with Thomas and Rebecca heads towards Weeley Heath after school with Rita Marvin and granddaughter Page Brown Picture: STEVE BRADING

But she is worried large lorries are making it a dangerous trip.

"The Clacton Road, despite having a weight restriction on Weeley Bridge, has many lorries speeding past us in excess of the 40mph limit," she said.

"Just recently my young son was swept off his feet by the wind created by a speeding vehicle. Luckily he fell on to the pavement and only had a sore knee as a result."

Mrs Lally said they have to contend with overgrown hedges along the pathway and cannot walk alongside each other because of overhanging branches.

She believes a cycle lane and proper pathway should be made on the road to the school to make it safer for all parents and children.

She also wants the speed limit cut from 40mph to 30mph. A petition has been set up calling for the speed reduction.

Mrs Lally won backing from Weeley Parish Council.

Councillors at their meeting last night welcomed the idea to cut speed on the road, but said they had tried to do so before and were told the limit would not be reduced as the school was set back from Clacton Road.

Chairman Derek Whitnell said: "We have asked several times for something like a sleeping policeman to stop the rat-run that goes down here, but nothing gets done."

He said they should write to the police

Published Tuesday, June 17, 2003

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