ANGRY parents have hit out after council officials snubbed a six month campaign for a lollipop crossing at Moorburn Road in Largs.

Parents launched an online petition and lobbied local politicians but say their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

They claim the Moorburn Road route to the school is a hazard for their children, with shops, busy traffic, and cars, vans and lorries blocking sightlines.

The News visited Moorburn Road on a recent morning to witness the problem and speak to concerned parents.

Jennifer Foster, who helped lead the campaign, said: "It has been pushed back three times now and we still have no lollipop crossing.

"My daughter Libby is P7 and there is no way she can see because of the traffic parked, and she has to go out on the road to look to cross.

"Traffic is blocking the road both ways at times.

"With no lollipop crossing in Moorburn Road it is just making it more and more dangerous when the autumn and winter comes.

"You are literally dicing with death when you are crossing that road.

"Cars zoom along Moorburn Road - there is no signage or anything to say that it is a children's crossing area in the morning and afternoon, or warning motorists to slow down, or any 20mph signs."

Mum Vicki Cardwell, who was walking her son Max to school, added: "Children's can't cross on their own unsupervised - it is a nightmare.

"You have delivery vans there, cars parked, and then you have all the traffic.

"It is crazy to expect children to cross there without assistance from a lollipop man or woman."

Mum Arlene McDonald, who was walking with her son Harry McPherson, six, said: "He is almost at an age that he can walk to school but he can't because of this road. You have lorries blocking the area to cross, and cars are going too fast.

"It holds back his independence a little bit if I am being honest.

"It is a real safety issue and a lollipop person is definitely worth pursuing."

Councillor Ian Murdoch has called for a crossing at the location after carrying out his own research.

On one school day he noted that between 8am-8.35am a total of 96 pedestrians crossed the road.

The councillor said: "It isn't as busy as some of the crossings closer to the school but the traffic is faster and to me it is just a dangerous road."

North Ayrshire Council says it has conducted thorough checks of the area and officials believe there is no need for a crossing, but they have pledged to take another look.

A spokesperson said: “We carried out a PV assessment - which looks at the volume of traffic and number of pedestrians within an area – on this and other areas around the Largs Campus.

“This type of analysis is used by local authorities across the UK and provides a thorough, impartial review when establishing locations for school crossing patrollers.

“The evidence from this assessment concluded that a school crossing patroller would not be required at this location.

“We will undertake a further assessment in early October - before the school holiday and when the nights are beginning to draw in - to assess whether there has been any change in the figure."