'A child will be killed' - Residents call for safety measures on blind bend after pet fatalities
ITV News Meridian's Charlotte Wilkins spoke to residents in Denton, East Sussex
Residents in an East Sussex village are calling for urgent safety measures to be put in place along a blind bend after a number of pets were killed by speeding drivers.
Some fear it is only a matter of time before a child is hit on the Denton Road, in Denton near Newhaven.
One resident has described the moment a flatbed truck almost hit her car head on, forcing her to swerve onto the kerb to avoid a crash.
Another resident said: "I am telling you someone is going to get killed. A kid is going to get killed. There's a school just up the road, there's a lot of old people here as well, something needs to be done about this."
Campaigners are asking East Sussex County Council to implement at least one of three safety measures to prevent a fatality.
The proposals include a 20mph speed limit, a slow down sign which illuminates when a car reaches 30mph and a mirror to be placed on the blind bend to enable drivers to see oncoming traffic.
A petition has been opened urging the council to take action before its too late.
Willem Brown, Pub manager, said: "At midnight, or sometimes at 4pm or 5pm in the afternoon, people are speeding up the road and going so fast around the corner that they're actually going onto the other side of the road."
Cllr Corinna Watts, Newhaven Town Council, Lib Dem, said: "I use this road on a daily basis, as a parent as well as a councillor, and for daily walking I'm having to dodge traffic that is coming so quickly.
"I feel that East Sussex [County Council] need to do something now, rather than wait for a fatality."
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A spokesperson for East Sussex County Council said: "We have noted the concerns raised about road safety on Denton Road, and will consider the petition when it is received.
"We recognise that the idea of 20mph speed limits are often well supported by local communities, and we support such speed limits where they are appropriate.
"However, we have a finite amount of funding to develop local road safety and transport improvements across the county, and need to ensure that our resources are used on schemes that will have the greatest benefit to our local communities.
"Schemes that do not meet the county council’s benchmark for funding but are important to the local community can sometimes be funded through our Community Match initiative, which is open to parish and town councils, residents’ associations and local community groups."
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