CONCERNED parents are calling for urgent action after a seven-year-old boy was hit by a car at Kells. 

Ryan Wood suffered a broken jaw and nose after attempting to cross the busy High Road. 

His story, and shocking picture of his injuries, made the national news this week after being exclusively reported in The Whitehaven News. 

Now local parents, including Ryan's, want a zebra crossing on the road to ease safety worries. 

One mother, Joanne Eaves, said: "It's not just kids getting hit, in the last 12 months cars have crashed into the wall, one went into the school wall. Drivers use the chicanes for rallying and kids don't look when they see their friends on the other side of the road." 

While another Kells resident, Irene Hutchinson, said: "When the schools are getting out there are cars parked down either side and right around the corner, it's disgusting."

Ryan's father Frank Wood had initially highlighted the need for a crossing after the accident.

He said: "Kids run across the park to the shop and the current method isn't working, it's more of a hindrance. A zebra crossing would be easier because, as soon as someone has a foot on it, cars will stop." 

Copeland councillor Michael Guest, who represents Kells, assured parents he will take the issue to Cumbria County Council and has encouraged parents to set up a petition. 

He said: "I'm going to contact the County Council Highways and take it up. I live near High Road and the traffic along there is horrendous.There definitely has to be something done to look at traffic calming, if not a crossing, being put in for these kids." 

Coun Guest, who is also chairman of Whitehaven Town Council, added: "Personally I have had nearly three accidents at the Basket Road end where it is only one car wide and people are coming too fast. Fortunately we haven't had any kids hit down there. 

"Cumbria Highways, at a meeting a year ago, was going to put in speeding monitors but it never happened, parking restrictions were put in but not speeding and that's the problem."

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said it is waiting until the police accident investigation report is complete before discussing the findings and seeing if action needs to be taken.

"The County Council works with the Cumbria Road Safety Partnership to reduce road casualties through engineering measures, enforcement of the law and education of road users as appropriate."