I HAVE been driving for 27 years and never had an accident, but last week I had a very near miss of the most horrific kind - I nearly reversed over a very small child outside Bexton School.

The sole reason why I didn’t, was because the terrified, but very brave dad threw himself behind my car to get me to stop.

His child was so small that I couldn’t see him out of my back windscreen.

It was only when the dad appeared that I slammed on.

He screamed at me, ‘It’s a kid’s crossing!’ and I thought, ‘how could I miss that?’ But when I looked, I saw that it had the dropped pavement for the pedestrians to think it’s a crossing, but the original pink tarmac that had been laid on the road to show motorists it’s a crossing had been covered over with black tarmac, effectively removing the crossing.

And what’s more, there were parked cars the whole way along the stretch in front of the school and almost right up to the crossing.

This was the reason I was reversing, to let a motorist come by in the opposite direction.

When was this crossing removed and why?

Who thought this was a good idea?

Children clearly need a safe place to cross the road outside school, and when all it takes is a few lines painted on the road, it staggers me that we cannot make this happen.

Perhaps we can.

We clearly need the crossing reinstated, along with double yellow lines or white zigzags opposite the school.

Is the council just waiting for an actual accident or will my story be enough?

I was absolutely mortified when I realised what had nearly happened.

I am so sorry to the dad and his child for scaring them.

I am hoping something good can come out of this.

Five years ago, my youngest child left Bexton School and it was the exact same story then as it is now, with cars everywhere making it dangerous for children.

When will it change?

Emma Cooney Ashworth Park Knutsford