School patrol warden was removed after abuse

JESMIN seriously injured in lorry accident

The school crossing patrol for the junction where a teenage girl was seriously injured in a road accident 13 days ago was withdrawn because of abuse from pupils, a councillor has been told.

Jesmin Begum (14) was in collision with a lorry as she crossed Broadway near Hunt Lane on her first day back at school.

The Radclyffe School pupil from Main Road, Oldham, is on a life support machine at Manchester Children’s Hospital, and is beginning to improve.

Her distraught family have questioned why there was no-one to help pupils cross the road.

Older brother Mofuzzul Choudhury (25) from Colwyn Street, Oldham, said last week: “Broadway is a dual carriageway. How could they not have a lollipop lady there?”

Local resident Tony Shaw, whose Broadway home overlooks the junction, has been told that the crossing patrol was being ‘blatantly ignored by pedestrians.’

Mr Shaw, who has campaigned for better safety measures at the junction, was sent a letter by Chadderton Central Councillor Colin McLaren in May telling him: “I have been advised by Oldham Council Highways that the original school crossing patrol was removed in November, 2009, due to the amount of abuse received from the pupils going to and from the Radclyffe School.

“Although it is a busy crossing most people would cross the road without waiting for the patrol. It was apparent that the patrol was being blatantly ignored by pedestrians. The school was also notified about the decision.”

Mr Shaw said: “There are four schools near this junction — Radclyffe, St Herbert’s, St Luke’s and North Chadderton, and soon there will be the new Catholic secondary school on Broadway.

“Four children have been killed on Broadway in recent years — perhaps people will now start taking notice.

“It is pretty shocking if it takes a serious injury to a girl to start something happening.”

Councillor McLaren said today there are ongoing talks between the council and the Highways Agency which managed Broadway.

He added: “There are lots of issues which need to be addressed and the school crossing patrol is one facet.

“When the new Catholic secondary school opens in 2012 there will be a number of schools in a short distance on Broadway. There will be a significant amount of traffic at the beginning and end of school.”

Radclyffe deputy head Susan Webb said: “We are not aware of any communication which shows the school was informed this was the reason the patrol was withdrawn.

“We understood it was due to a shortage of school crossing patrols. For the first couple of weeks of term senior members of staff are acting as crossing supervisors with Year 7 teaching them how to use the Puffin crossings.”