Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is to be asked to back calls to create a safer route for children travelling to Cowling School.

Pupils who walk to school have to travel down a steep hill which has no pavement and parents, staff and governors fear there could soon be an accident.

Now Cowling resident Lesley Airey has written to Mr Prescott about the matter.

Her letter has been prompted after hearing about a study of 'off-highway routes' being carried out on behalf of the Government's Highways Agency.

The project is looking at the ability of people in rural areas to reach local services, such as schools, on foot or by bicycle when there are hazards associated with roads.

"Parents often have pushchairs and very young children with them whilst walking this route," writes Mrs Airey.

"The county council informs parents that there have not been enough accidents on this stretch of road to make it a high enough priority for the provision of a footpath."

Mrs Airey says creating a safer route to the school could prevent "a potential tragedy".

"Has the village to wait until a child is seriously injured or even worse before this matter can be addressed?" she asks.

Commenting on the letter to Mr Prescott, chairman of governors at Cowling School Andy Davidson said he welcomed the call for the minister to get involved.

"This is a perennial problem which the school and the governing body are concerned about," he said.

"Over the years we have asked the county council to do something about it and it ends up on the rolling programme of work.

"However, something always happens and it just seems to get pushed further back.

"It is dangerous, there's no doubt about it but considering the topography of the land it might be difficult to create an entirely new route into the school."

Mr Davidson added that one solution was to make the steep hill down to the school one-way only.

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