Pensioner plea for safe road crossing

Ninety year-old Geoff Mason spent a month in hospital after sustaining a broken neck and two skull fractures when he was knocked over crossing the busy A623 two years ago.

The great grandfather-of-four was hit while stepping back onto the part of the road known as The Avenue after crossing it to post a letter at a point where vision is lost to a rise in one direction and a bend in the other.

Geoff said: “If there had been a crossing there with traffic lights the driver would have stopped at the traffic lights.

“We are told by the authorities they are going to do a traffic count but that’s not what we want.

“We want a crossing so we can get across the road in safety. It would be nice to leave something behind - even if that is just a crossing.”

Former joiner Geoff said he had now given up on the village’s parish council and Derbyshire County Council after approaching both for help and being told a crossing was not needed.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: “We’re always happy to hear from members of the public who may have suggestions about our services and we will always consider them.

“We’ve carried out a number of surveys at the site Mr Mason has highlighted, but it does not meet the necessary criteria for installing a pedestrian crossing.”

A spokesman for Stoney Middleton Parish Council said she was unable to comment until the matter has been discussed at their next meeting.