BARRY children's lives will be at risk if the council fails to act soon, claim a group of angry parents.

Residents are battling to secure speed-calming measures at Severn Avenue, one of the town's busiest roads.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council have already placed bollards at the site, but parents says this is not enough as there has been two serious accidents in six months.

Mother-of-three Debbie Hayes, lives at Blackberry Drive, The Brambles.

She said: "We asked for a zebra crossing. It's a busy road used by All Saints school, pupils crossing to catch the bus for Bishop of Llandaff, the elderly from Gwenog Court, and shoppers.

"But we didn't meet certain criteria, so two sets of concrete bollards were put there instead. Now people get stuck between the two pavements waiting to cross.

"Only last month a car ploughed into the bollards, destroying them. If someone had been standing there, they'd have been killed."

The thirty eight year old is determined to get action and has already has a petition with over 640 names on it.

She added: "I've given the petition to Councillors Emlyn Williams and Tony Hampton to hand in to the Highways Department."

Cllr Hampton said: "We understand Highways have to follow guidelines set by the National Assembly, but we feel traffic has to be controlled here before someone is hurt. We will now try to find a way of meeting the set criteria."

Cllr Williams added: "We support the residents call for a crossing here to benefit the whole community."

A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesman said: "The Highways Department, working with the police will take a further close look at the situation but any new measures that are identified will need to be prioritised and funded in line with the council's current highways programme."