A Stapenhill woman claims a road connecting a park and nearby bridge is "an accident waiting to happen" after she had to jump out of the path of a car.

Valerie Galer, of Ferry Street, is concerned for the safety of pedestrians, families, cyclists and dog walkers who use The Dingle after she found herself having to take action to avoid a speeding car.

The short road, off Ferry Street, which leads to a park and the Ferry Bridge, has no pavement but is regularly used by families taking their children to the park or people walking the dog. Mrs Galer claims drivers unfamiliar with the area are responsible for driving too fast.

Valerie Galer was nearly hit by a car on The Dingle, in Stapenhill

She said more drivers were using the road for parking their car and walking across the Ferry Bridge to avoid the traffic while St Peter's Bridge remains closed for repair work.

The 72-year-old, who works at Hillfield House, in Stretton, said: "It is really dangerous. I had to jump out of the way, I had my heart in my mouth. I turned to look behind me and there were families with kids all the way down who could have been hurt or killed. The driver had to stop at the end as he tried to carry on but there were too many people.

"If they do not know what the road is like then surely they should go down it with caution. There is a children's play area with a little park but people come tearing down it. The majority of people do drive carefully but it is just some that don't.

"It is horrendous down there. The day after I was nearly hit I saw a woman driving down the road on a mobility scooter and I just thought if she was there she would stand no chance.

The Dingle, in Stapenhill, is a 'danger' to pedestrians

"I am getting fed up of it. We often have to move out the way for cars but this is the first time that I really felt I was going to be run over. I have been talking to people since this happened and they have been saying the same thing, it is so dangerous.

"This road is an accident waiting to happen. I am definitely more wary now. We now have more people walking up and down there because of the bridge and there have been a few near misses.

"I would ask drivers to be vigilant of people and aware there there are pedestrians on that road."

The mother-of-two is calling for a low speed limit to be introduced to slow drivers down and make it safer for pedestrians.

Concerns have been raised about the safety of The Dingle

Helen Fisher, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet support member for highways and transport, said: "Keeping our roads safe for everyone who uses them is a key priority for the county council and a range of measures are used to keep our highways as safe as possible.

"As part of this, we offer local communities the opportunities to raise and prioritise local highways issues. This is led by the local county councillor and they work closely with the parish council and other bodies to identify potential schemes which are most in need of consideration in their area."

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