CHILDREN from a St Albans school look one step closer to getting a much-needed zebra crossing after the district council approved £20,000-worth of funding.

After six months of lobbying by anxious parents and St Albans MP Kerry Pollard, St Albans district councillors have agreed in principle to a raft of road safety measures on Cottonmill Lane outside St Peter's JMI School.

These include a raised zebra crossing, a traffic island, improved road signs and restricted parking around the school.

Headteacher Michael Connell welcomed the move, saying: 'We are very grateful to Kerry Pollard.

'He has been a major force in moving forward the provision of safe pedestrian access to St Peter's School.'

Although Mr Connell said there had been no accidents outside the school, there was evidence of irresponsible driving, particularly when the Holywell Hill roadworks were being carried out.

He said: 'We need to implement these measures now, not wait for an accident to happen.'

Cottonmill Lane has a history of accidents which have been blamed on the controversial residents' parking scheme (CPZ).

This has driven motorists out of the city centre to seek alternative parking and they have been blamed for taking vital parking spaces and blocking the road outside the school.

The planned road safety measures will now go through to a final consultation stage in August.