A MOTHER has appealed for a pedestrian crossing on a “frightening” road where a pensioner was killed.

In September, 85-year-old Catherine Akehurst lost her life crossing Old Shoreham Road near her home by the junction with Lullington Avenue, Hove.

Last night, mother-of-three Rebecca Blott presented a petition of 439 signatures to a Brighton and Hove City Council meeting, asking for improved safety measures.

On behalf of petitioners she requested the council installs a pedestrian crossing on Old Shoreham Road near Weald Avenue and Lullington Avenue.

The 43-year-old told the meeting in Hove Town Hall: “The primary objective of our petition is to ensure that there is a safe way for children to walk to and from the schools in the area but we feel that other residents would also benefit from our proposal.

“While there are pedestrian crossings at the Sackville Road and Holmes Avenue junctions, the Weald Avenue and Lullington Avenue junction is the main route chosen for people walking north and south of the Old Shoreham Road as it allows them to avoid having to walk directly along the Old Shoreham Road.”

She said the road has heavy traffic and she had seen many drivers treating the wide stretch of road as a dual carriageway and speeding.

The traffic island in the middle of the road at that point is “tiny”, she said, adding: “The crossing can generally be completed much faster if you tackle it in two.

“The island in the centre of the road is totally inadequate.

“A child or even an adult could stand in just slightly the wrong place and be clipped by a passing vehicle.

“I have personal experience of trying to cross the road in this way with a baby in a buggy and two small children and it’s no exaggeration to say that it is very, very frightening.”

After Mrs Akehurst’s death in September ward councillor Vanessa Brown said: “I’m devastated there has been this accident. This is awful news.

“It’s just awful to think something like this has to happen before something gets done.

“It should have been done a long time ago.

“Previously, we have asked for speed cameras and pedestrian crossings, and we’ve been turned down.

“We made a request for a pedestrian crossing to council officers a couple of years ago but they decided it didn’t fulfil the criteria.

She added she would reiterate her calls for better safety measures to be installed.

Councillors agreed to refer the petition to the environment, transport and sustainability committee to be considered next month.