A mother's campaign to protect children from road dangers in North Weald has ended in victory.

Pat Bracey was this week celebrating a county council decision to provide a school crossing patrol in the village.

She said: "I'm delighted. It's the end of a long, hard fight but at last someone has listened."

Mrs Bracey, who has a five-year-old son, David, lives in Thornhill, the other side of the busy High Road to St Andrew's Primary School, which he attends.

She said: "Sometimes it takes me as long as five minutes to cross the road. Thankfully, the decision to appoint a warden has come before a disaster occurred, although last year a pupil at St John's, Epping, was involved in an accident there."

Mrs Bracey, whose husband, John, a former policeman, is now a London black cab driver, conducted her campaign through Epping Forest District Council, the police and the county.

St Andrew's head teacher Gill Young said: "We're very excited. A lot of our children come from the other side of the High Road and this is bound to be an improvement.

"In the mornings, particularly, when there are secondary school pupils rushing to catch buses, it can be very dangerous."

The result is that many mothers insist on driving their children to school creating another potential hazard at the top of the School Green Lane cul-de-sac where St Andrew's is placed.

Mrs Young said: "Often I've been asked to go out there and sort out the chaos. Now we're hoping that mothers will walk their children to school and traffic will be reduced."

The county will now advertise for someone to act as a lollipop lady or man on the High Road.

But Highways Committee chairman Ray Howard warned: "It is often difficult in some areas to find the right person to take on this responsibility but I'm determined to get this implemented as soon as possible,"

County Community Safety Committee chairman David Westcott said: "North Weald is one of the sites found to have the greatest need for a crossing patrol. Safety of children on their way to school is paramount and I hope that parents will feel more confident."

Victorious mum: Pat Bracey and friends celebrate the council's green light for a crossing patrol.

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