SCHOOLCHILDREN are having to take action by putting out safety cones to stop speeding cars from making their route to school dangerous every morning.

Teachers from Holbrook Primary, on Holbrook Lane, Trowbridge, want to see zig zags and a formal crossing on the 30mph road which has a tight bend at the school gates.

Local people cannot understand why a series of 20mph restrictions imposed on streets in the area during the summer holidays do not cover Holbrook Lane.

The school has already had cars crash into its safety fencing on the tight bend on the road and every day children help the lollipop lady put out cones along Holbrook Lane, to stop cars parking and creating blind spots in the road.

A parents who lives in The Croft said: “My son goes to the school and is one of the children that helps put out cones everyday. The school children are doing more than the council.”

“I wrote a letter about the safety concerns for school children and naively thought the police or council would send someone out but I got nothing.

“They have put parking bollards on the Croft and reduced the speed limit in some roads but they’re the wrong ones. It’s surprising how inefficient they are being.”

Zig zag lines could be introduced in the area in bid to stop people parking outside the school and slow drivers down, but the school has been told fitting a formal crossing could cost £25k.

Rose Nunn, deputy head teacher, said: “It is a constant issue for our school. The speed limit needs to change to 20mph because we have a crossing patrol and she often find that cars have to brake abruptly in front of her as she helps children cross.

“We are 100 per cent behind anything the community can do to improve the safety around our school.”

The school is due to send a Travel Plan to Wiltshire Council in the next few weeks calling for change.

Despite numerous 20mph speed limits being introduced in the Drynham Ward over the summer, main danger spots like Wiltshire Drive and Holborok Lane have not been included in the traffic slowing measures.

The slower speed limits were brought in after calls for action by former councillor for Drynham Ward, Graham Payne, who died in March.

New Wiltshire councillor for the ward Andrew Bryant wants to launch a speed watch to catch cars which race through the 30mph limits in Holbrook Lane, Bradley Road, Wiltshire Drive, and Dursley Road.

He says they are used by commuters and people trying to beat trraffic jams.

He said: “The roads that have not been reduced to 20mph are the ones that are the rat runs.

“It wouldn’t be such an issue if there weren’t idiots who drove too fast along these roads where there’s a school and housing.

“The decision was made about 18 months ago and at the time there was a lot of objection that the four main artery roads were not included.

“A community speed watch will not be a long term answer but I have been told I cannot fit metro counts until building work has stopped on Wiltshire Drive.”

Work on the new homes there is due to continue through into 2020.

Philip Withers drives along the route and said people are in danger as they cross the roads that have remained in the 30 mph limit. He said: “I came across a disabled couple crossing Wiltshire Drive and as I was still driving at less than 20mph I was able to easily stop, but anyone proceeding at the allowable 30mph might have been in some difficulty.”