A dad-of-two who has campaigned for improvements to a “dangerous” primary school crossing in Belvedere, where kids have been knocked down by cars in the past, is increasingly frustrated by delays in making the road safer.

Ian Fitzgibbon is part of the parent’s panel at St Augustine C of E Primary School, where his nine-year-old daughter Molly is a pupil, and called on Bexley Council to install traffic lights or a zebra crossing in Abbey Road.

Junction improvements finally started at the end of last year, but whilst roadworks are taking place the road is said to be more dangerous than ever.

Meanwhile, delays in hiring a new school crossing guard have made matters even worse for parents – who have taken to stopping traffic by standing in the middle of the street.

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According to the council, the roadworks should be finishing next month

Mr Fitzgibbon, who lives in Beckett Close, said: “Re-modelling the junction is slow going, and the Head said it made it worse and more dangerous for the children until the crossing is done.

“It could go on a lot longer and it’s always been dangerous there. The council haven’t really been forthcoming on the dates.

“There have been accidents, kids have been knocked over. I think that was one of the driving processes for the last crossing lady to leave.

“The main thing they are looking for is a lollipop lady, or lollipop man.

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Mr Fitzgibbon

“The council said they have got someone but the checks are taking a long time to go through at the moment.

“I believe that’s giving them a headache and people are saying ‘oh blow this, I’m going elsewhere’.

“I don’t know who’s holding it up, but that’s the frustration as well.

“Parents have started standing in the middle of the road to stop cars and allow children to cross.”

The 40-year-old, whose youngest daughter Emily, four, will also join the school in September, added: “Eventually Molly will get to a point when she would start crossing the road on her own.

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Mr Fitzgibbon is a parent at St Augustine of Canterbury school

“I trust her to walk to her nan’s house round the corner but I wouldn’t trust her to cross Abbey Road.

“You get complete idiots who drive 60 to 70mph down the road.

“We thank the council for listening and doing something, it’s just a frustration the works are making it more dangerous at the moment - and the lack of a lollipop lady.

“I just want to do this for my children, I want to make it good for them. Any parent, you want to look out for your children. I don’t want to put them in danger.”

A Bexley Council spokesman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience these improvement works may be causing.

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Pedestrians have to walk in the road to get to school

“The work at Abbey Road/St Augustine’s Road is programmed to last for another week, followed by three nights of re-surfacing. Work has been timed to run into the half-term week to limit the impact on school journeys.

“We are doing all we can to make the area as safe as possible while the works are taking place and would reassure parents and carers that the work will soon progress along the road allowing the footway to be re-opened.”

Bexley Council are recruting for the school crossing patrol. To apply, please email: roadsafetyeducation@bexley.gov.uk or call 0208 303 7777 and ask for road safety.