A DESPERATE plea for safety measures on a busy stretch of road outside an Eastleigh school campus has been reissued nearly a year after angry parents highlighted its dangers.

Just days before thousands of children are due back at Fair Oak's Wyvern Community School and Fair Oak junior and infants schools, local councillor Philip Spearey has made an urgent call for a lollipop patrol and a pedestrian crossing to be introduced to the Botley Road.

Villagers and parents, who raised an 800-strong petition calling for action, took to the streets last December in a bid to get the measures for nearly 2,000 pupils who run the daily gauntlet of traffic on the danger road.

The fight won the backing of Eastleigh MP David Chidgey who held talks with the three headteachers on the campus and called on Hampshire County Council to act.

But now, with no sign of progress, borough councillor Mr Spearey has revoiced local concerns and highlighted the continuing dangers of the A3354.

He said: "This busy main road location outside the school campus has now been without a lollipop person for over a year.

"Large numbers of school children cross the road every day and a number of accidents or near-misses have taken place. It is a miracle no fatalities have occurred.

"A year ago we had lots of warm words from the county council leadership in support of our bid for a pedestrian crossing. The time is now overdue to turn those warm words into a reality."

The new plea comes as positions in almost a third of all school crossing patrols across Hampshire remain vacant. A spokeswoman for the education authority said action was on the horizon: "It's like any job - we cannot force people to apply.

"We are going to readvertise the position outside Fair Oak junior and infants schools in the next week or so with new times to take into account those pupils in Wyvern school.

She added: "The results of a survey show there is a case for a crossing there and with a bit of luck it will be in next year's programme."