A foreign exchange student killed by a lorry on a notoriously dangerous Catford street has prompted a petition to make the road safer.

Natasha Clarkson, 34, of Ardgowan Road, started the petition following the death of 13-year-old Taiwanese student Sharon Chen in July.

The campaign, currently at more than 400 signatures, calls for Transport for London to assess the safety of Brownhill Road by installing another zebra crossing.

Mrs Clarkson said: “The death of the young girl really shook our community. It was so horrible and the whole of the south circular was closed for the day. It really highlights the dangers of the road and this was when I thought more needs to be done before someone else is killed.”

She explained that the speed and congestion of traffic on the junction of Brownhill Road and Torridon Road causes pedestrians and children from Sandhurst School to dart in and out of traffic.

This accompanied with poor visibility and lack of lighting means there is a real need for the road to change, she added.

She said: “It’s horrible for us as a community to think that another fatality could happen again.”

Mrs Clarkson, added that the amount of support she has received has been overwhelming. 

She explained: “I have had lots of Facebook messages and emails and lots of people have signed the petition which really highlights just how the community feels about Brownhill Road.”