Daphne, 80, leads bid for crossing

Daphne Curtis, 80, from St Michael's Road, wants to present a petition signed by more than 400 people to county planning officials next week, calling for a crossing to be built on Heene Road.

Elderly people wanting to cross the road sometimes have to wait more than half an hour to cross, in fear for their lives from the speeding traffic.

Four serious accidents have taken place on the road in the last five years, three of them in 2004, and Mrs Curtis wants something done before somebody is killed.

She said some people pulled away from the traffic lights at the junction with Mill Road and went down Heene Road "like it's a race track".

She added: "We don't want to wait for a fatality before something's done; that would be terrible."

Mrs Curtis began the petition after a friend, Irene Saxby, was knocked down on the road and hospitalised. Irene has since added her voice to the campaign, which is supported by the nearby Worthing Society For The Blind and Heene Community Centre.

Mrs Saxby said: "A crossing would be a great help. There's the community centre, the church, Gifford House and our parish rooms. They're used by so many people. A lot of them also use the shops at the bottom. When I go down, you have to wait and make a dash for it if you can, and most of us are at an age where we can't dash."

Jane Cooper, from Worthing Society For The Blind, said: "I have to cross that road and it is difficult to cross at the junction with Richmond Road. For somebody visually impaired, it must be a nightmare. The road is just too fast."

Debbie Croft, manager of Heene Community Centre, explained why they were asking their members to sign the petition.

She said: "The elderly people around here use our centre for functions. Because of the age group, you've got a lot of people walking here. It's difficult crossing that road because people go so fast. One of our members was the latest victim to get knocked down."

Christine Brown, a borough councillor, is also supporting the petition. "A crossing is absolutely paramount with the amount of vulnerable people who use this road. There should be safer roads here. West Sussex County Council have a pot of money for young people and crossings near schools but they don't seem to have any for older people. They are very, very vulnerable."

Nigel Galloway, spokesman for the County Hall transport

department, said: "We have not received a petition but we were made aware of concerns by a local resident who wrote to us.

"We have already written back and plan to carry out surveys on the road during the spring and summer."