RESIDENTS are making a road safety plea after witnessing two collisions in less than 12 months.

People living next to Green Lane, Horwich, say the main road is an ‘accident waiting to happen’ despite measures to try to improve safety.

It follows an incident on Monday when an eight-year-old boy was taken to hospital after a collision with a car in the road behind Darley Street, located off Green Lane.

Phil Madden, a former police traffic officer and resident of Darley Street, said: “On the main road no one pays any attention to the speed limit. They introduced a 20mph limit last year but there is no one to police it.

“The council decided to plonk the park here and obviously there are problems given its location. There are more kids around and more congestion. It is an accident waiting to happen.”

There are also concerns about children cutting through ginnels and back-streets to reach the play area.

Mr Madden reported that his home, where he has lived with wife Janet for 25 years, has been hit by cars veering off Green Lane on more than three occasions.

Neighbours Irene and Peter Chadwick have been petitioning Bolton Council to introduce more safety measures. Mrs Chadwick said: “You get children trying to cross to the park but it’s a terrible road. People park in the wrong places and the cars come round the blind corners too fast.”

The boy was involved in a collision with a Vauxhall at around 4.20pm. Paramedics treated the child, who is believed to have suffered a broken leg and was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital.

In December, Paul Broderick, aged 82, was crossing Green Lane, near to the junction with Carr Road, when he was in collision with a car and died in hospital three days later.

Horwich North East councillor Joyce Kellett, said the town council was going to speak to residents to address the road safety concerns.”

She added: “We have put out signs and changed the speed but it has obviously not worked.“We will do everything in our power to try to resolve this and make it a lot safer.”

Bolton Council said road safety was a priority and once it had received the police report about the latest accident it would look at any further action required. A police spokesperson added: “We have limited resources and we try to regularly monitor areas, particularly those where a number of serious collisions have occurred.”

“Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving should report it to police.”