A mum is pleading for a zebra crossing to be installed outside a primary school after a pupil was knocked down by a car.

The incident happened outside Maple Cross Junior Mixed and Infants School in Denham Way last week.

Thankfully the boy was not seriously injured.

However Stacy Ward, whose daughter attends the school, warned just last year that safety measures should be implemented before someone got hurt.

Now she says the evidence for a zebra crossing or similar is there, and is calling on Hertfordshire County Council to act before a child is killed.

“The council said there was no basis for it – there wasn’t enough traffic or children at the school – but it’s got worse,” she said.

“We were told there needed to be three accidents before they could do anything. Well now it’s one down, two to go.

“The children may not be so lucky next time. The school is getting bigger all the time – it is ridiculous.”

Miss Ward collected more than 100 signatures on a petition last year calling for improved safety measures but said she never heard back from Hertfordshire County Council.

And she added that a shipping container recently placed at the end of nearby Woodland Road by workmen is making visibility even worse.

A Hertfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “The safety of children and all road users is of paramount importance to the county council. The issues relating to road safety outside Maple Cross Junior Mixed and Infants School were brought to the attention of the county council last year.

“An engineer visited the school at the morning drop off and it was clearly observed that the issues were primarily caused by driver behaviour and inappropriate parking.  It was not felt that a zebra crossing would address these issues.   

“We would suggest that residents with concerns should speak to their local county councillor and to the police about enforcement on illegal and dangerous parking.”