A concerned mother is campaigning for a crossing on a busy road used by scores of schoolchildren.

Nasreen Ali has collected 120 signatures on a petition asking Bradford Council to install a crossing.

She decided to leave her car at home and started walking from her home in Heaton to Cottingley Village Primary School with her two children, Nadhiya, six, and Mohsin, seven, in September.

But Mrs Ali, a finance and administration officer, was appalled by a danger spot along the 30-minute route.

Mrs Ali, of Shay Crescent, Heaton, said: "As we walk up from Cottingley along Cottingley Cliffe Road, towards Bingley Road and at the junction of Long Lane, which takes you through Heaton Woods, the pavement narrows making it unsafe to continue walking with young children on this side.

"At this stage we cross the road to the opposite side where it is wider and safer to walk.

"Along the opposite side of the road as you walk up along Cottingley Cliffe Road there is not a suitable pavement - only a grass verge.

"At 8.30am and 3.30pm during weekdays, this part of the road is extremely busy and rather unsafe to try and dodge the traffic with two young children."

The mother and her children have had a narrow escape when they crossed halfway onto the central reservation painted on the road and were almost hit by a motorcycle.

"Because there was a queue of traffic, a motorcyclist decided to overtake the vehicles in front by driving onto the central reservation and almost knocking my children down as he brushed past," said Mrs Ali. "My children and I froze with fright and didn't know what to do when we saw the oncoming motorcyclist.

"Many other people walk up and down Bingley Road, especially pupils from the nearby Nab Wood School. And it would be nice to carry on encouraging people to walk more, whereby they are increasing their fitness."

Mrs Ali said she enjoyed the twice- daily walks and it has brought her and her children closer together but she was concerned about their safety. She said: "The Council could make it into a safe walk for schoolchildren. It's a beautiful walk down and there are so many animals. But it's an accident waiting to happen."

Mrs Ali said she has the backing of Nab Wood School, Belle Vue Girls School as well as Cottingley Village Primary School, which are all nearby.

Cottingley Village Primary head teacher Christina Briggs said: "It's wonderful Nasreen is doing this. We have a lot of children who travel to school from Heaton.

"We are a healthy school and we encourage walking. We appreciate the efforts of the Council and the Highways Agency because they have done a lot of traffic improvement measures around the school. It would be really good if there was a crossing up there."

e-mail: fiona.evans@bradford.newsquest.co.uk