SERIOUS accidents at a busy road junction are inevitable unless safety measures are installed, a mother warned last night.

The Oxford Mail revealed in October that grandfather Pat Abbott, 65, quit his job as a lollipop man at the junction of Oxford Road and Cherwell Drive, in Marston, Oxford, after he was almost run over.

Last night mother-of-four Renata Lanzoni, who has two children at nearby at St Nicholas’s School, accused Oxfordshire County Council of doing nothing since then to make the area safer.

City and county councillors, transport officials and police met at the crossing last week, but the county council says it has no money for a new crossing.

Mrs Lanzoni said: “Parents are appalled by the lack of concern expressed for the danger our children are exposed to on a daily basis.

“Surely if so many parents raise the issue that the crossing is dangerous, then this should be considered as a real threat to safety and not dismissed, simpy because we have been lucky enough not to have had any fatal accident so far.

“We do not want to be discussing the ‘what ifs’ and saying ‘I told you so’ after a tragic event.”

Hundreds of children use the crossing daily on their way to St Nicholas’ Primary School, and Cherwell School, in Marston Ferry Road.

Mrs Lanzoni, who crosses the junction each day with children Julie, eight, and Karen, seven, has been campaigning for a crossing for several years.

She said: “The junction is lethal, but the council has told me funding is not available for a pedestrian crossing.

“Can I just ask how much it costs to paint a zebra crossing and install two pedestrian crossing warning lights?

“If the crossing is indeed safe enough not to warrant any work done, is the position of lollipop man or woman still available?

“There is no place whatsoever to cross. Why is it so difficult to make Marston a safe place in which to live?”

Speaking to the Oxford Mail in October, Mr Abbott, of Rock Edge, Headington, Oxford, said he feared a child would have to die before any safety measures were installed.

He said: “I was almost hit by a car, because the driver hadn’t seen me. I have also been clipped by vehicles and been involved with other near-misses.”

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Paul Smith said there had been no accidents at the site since 1977.

Rodney Rose, cabinet member for transport implementation, said: “We are unable to provide a crossing at this stage as the council has limited resources and must prioritise them.”