THE 80-year-old pedestrian hit by a car on December 23 was the second, much younger, pedestrian to be hit by a car in about seven days in Church Street, Westhoughton.

The second one was in the lower part of the street, the first near Central Drive.

Instead of providing a pedestrian crossing in Church Street a few years ago, in my opinion it would have been better to have speed cameras.

The crossing is not used as much as it should be, as it is wrongly sited. People leaving the surgery on one side of the crossing do not use it, but choose to cross diagonally to the chemist.

Every morning, crossing the street to buy my paper, I double check to see if the street is clear before starting to cross. Before I reach the other side most days, some speed merchant comes round the bend and often has to slow down.

Recently, my son was about to use the crossing with the light in his favour, when some idiot in a car drove over the crossing against the red light.

So many motorists tear down the street well above the speed limit that it is a wonder more pedestrians are not hit.

Alfred Thorne, Church Street, Westhoughton