by Sam Hawcroft
A group of young girls have launched a community campaign to make a “dangerous” pedestrian crossing in Thorngumbald safer for children and families.
The four campaigners – Rosie, Ruby, Summer and Roz – are taking part in the Humberside Police Lifestyle Challenge under the name the Sibling Squad, as they are two pairs of sisters.
They are calling for urgent action to improve road safety at the zebra crossing on the A1033 near the Thorngumbald Community Institute, which is located between two busy bus stops. The issue has gained renewed attention following an incident in January 2024 when 11-year-old Alexa Wrightson was hit by a car while walking home from school.
Alexa was using the zebra crossing, which residents and campaigners claim is routinely ignored by drivers. Although Alexa was not seriously hurt, she described it as a “scary” experience and said she did not want others to go through the same thing.
The following May, Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart met East Riding Council ward councillors over the issue, while the council reiterated its offer to meet with Thorngumbald Parish Council to discuss the issue further.
At the official launch of the Lifestylers’ campaign on Thursday, July 17, the four girls were joined by Thorngumbald parish councillors Cliff Cone, Shirley Steel and Elaine Twidal, as well as Matt Watts, safeguarding lead at Holderness Academy. PC Maria Adlington from Humberside Police also attended and carried out spot speed checks by way of reassurance and visibility.
Concerns have long been raised about cars and lorries overtaking stationary school buses and failing to see children using the crossing – leading to several near-misses. Despite this, East Riding Council has cited only one recorded incident in recent years, which appears to be a factor in no new measures being introduced, and the girls and local campaigners believe more needs to be done.
Parent Sheila Logan said: “In an ideal world we’d have either the crossing moved or, even better, turned into a pelican crossing. The lights would slow down speeding drivers, so it’s not only keeping the kids safe as they cross the road, it’s also slowing speeders down and making them aware that there is a crossing ahead.”
Cllr Twidal said: “People have been hurt on this crossing. The parish council doesn’t have the power to change it, but we’ve been in touch with the East Riding ward councillors for several years and nothing has changed. If it was Beverley, it would have been done. Hedon has a new zebra crossing – we get nothing.”
Mr Watts said: “In the past week alone we’ve been doing assemblies on how pupils can keep themselves safe during the summer holidays, including road safety. It ties in really well with the very worthy cause that these girls are putting in place to try to raise awareness.”
Nearby resident Lee Sawden, a civil engineering consultant and owner at Hedon-based Sawden & Sons, came across from his office in Main Road to discuss the issue with the campaigners. He said: “When it’s school leaving time, there can be four or five buses here.
“Some start dropping off just outside our driveway, which is fine for the most part, but there is a flurry of school children that use the crossing and the road, crossing behind the buses. But what happens – and you see it all the time – is drivers overtake the buses blind down the side, and then they hit the crossing. We’ve even seen some have to reverse back down the side of the bus.
“From a traffic management point of view, a PV2 (pedestrians over vehicles squared) survey, which collects data on vehicle and pedestrian movements and a road safety stage 4 audit should be carried out. As an engineer and also resident, we agree the crossing should be removed or moved further down the road away from the bus stop.”
Another passer-by also suggested moving the eastbound bus stop further down the road, where it used to be several years ago, to help reduce the risks.
PC Adlington acknowledged the concerns raised. “There’s the placement of the bus stop being so close to the crossing, and the ‘no overtaking’ signs are also quite far off,” she said. “The girls are walking around looking at what could be improved – whether, for instance, a solid ‘no overtaking’ line could be put in which would make overtaking illegal.
“I have recommended they get in touch with Safer Roads Humber – the more people they can get on board, the more voices, the more they will be heard. I hope that they’re able to achieve their aims – they’re really passionate about it.”
Sheila added: “Rosie and her friends started to use this crossing when they were in year five of Thorngumbald primary. This is what made me aware of the danger – I had to sit and watch her cross every time. Kids should be able to grow and be independent, not be held back just because of poor safety on a crossing.”
Roz said: “I’d feel very proud knowing we’ve made the road safer for everyone.”
Graham Stuart said: “It’s great to see young people taking an active role in their communities and Thorngumbald’s Sibling Squad are doing a great job campaigning to make Thorngumbald a safer village to walk through.
“It’s wrong for villages like Thorngumbald to have such a glaring safety issue as this zebra crossing, and I hope the council will take notice of the Sibling Squad. Lifestyle is a fantastic scheme and I’ve seen the positive impact it’s had over the years, not least last year’s winners, the Patrington Champions.”
Ruth Gore, spokeswoman for Safer Roads Humber, said that while the management of the road rested with East Riding Council, they recognised the concerns of the local community.
She said: “We urge motorists to take extra care around the crossing especially at school times. It’s important to drive safely and appropriately within the speed limit at all times, and clearly when there are more vulnerable road users around to slow down and to be vigilant.”
A spokesman for East Riding Council said: “We are aware of concerns raised about the zebra crossing on the A1033 near the Community Institute in Thorngumbald. According to police records, there has been one recorded injury collision at this location in the past five years.
“The council has been in contact with Thorngumbald Parish Council and previously offered to meet to discuss road safety in the village and will be reaching out again to arrange a meeting to understand its current priorities.
“We take all concerns about pedestrian safety seriously and will continue to work with the community to assess whether any further measures are appropriate at this location.”