Parents hope a zebra crossing will be installed outside a school before a child is killed or seriously injured.

Stacy Ward hopes parents will support her campaign to get a crossing installed outside Maple Cross Junior Mixed and Infants School in Denham Way.

She said children are having to walk out between cars and there have been several “near misses”.

Almost 100 people have backed the campaign, which could see the last speed hump in Woodland Road turned into a crossing point.

The mother-of-two said: “It is very important that people support this.

“Nothing will be done until there is at least three incidents there.

“We do not want it to get to the stage where a child is killed or seriously injured."

The campaign was started after cars began stopping outside the school despite parking restrictions being in place.

This made it harder for motorists to drive up the road and children are forced to walk out between vehicles.

“We need as many signatures as we can get”, Ms Ward continued.

“There has been a lot of support so far. We had one person get in touch from Canada who used to go to the school. He said the school used to have a lollipop lady to help children cross the road.

“I would love to get at least 500 signatures. That would be absolutely fabulous and it would send out a message that our children should come first, and they do not appear to be at the moment.”

Martin Bertram, of Pollards, in Maple Cross, said he went to the school more than 40 years ago.

With two daughters at the school, the 47-year-old hopes a zebra crossing will slow traffic down near the school.

He added: “I really do not understand why we cannot have one outside the school. It would at least make drivers realise there is a school there and people would slow down, especially at pick-up and drop-off times.

“That speed hump is the same place we all used to use to cross the road when there was a lollipop lady.”

Spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council Andrew Dawson said: "We are happy to hear comments from Hertfordshire residents about improvements that can be made to roads in their area.

"We have not received this petition but will consider the items raised when we do."