PARENTS, teachers and families have demanded crossings and speed bumps be introduced in a notorious rat-run after a schoolgirl was hit by a double-decker bus.

The Hereward Primary School pupil was airlifted to Queen's Hospital in Romford following the horrific accident in Chester Road, Loughton.

The ten-year-old was later transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital where she is in a critical but stable condition with head injuries.

Hereward deputy head teacher Matt Woolard said: "Our thoughts are with the child who has been injured and her parents at this time."

And now parents at the Colebrook Lane school, which is near to the scene of the accident, said it is only a matter of time before another child is injured, and have insisted traffic calming be introduced immediately.

Dave Martin, who has three sons - Danny, Ryan and Rhys - at the school, said: "It really brought things home to me when it happened. Chester Road is a danger to children and adults alike as a large proportion of its users accelerate to highly inappropriate speeds when driving along it.

"The little girl who was knocked down is in my son's class. He tells me there have been a few kids crying in school and many of the children have been affected by what has happened."

Daniel Brett, who lives in nearby Hillyfields, said: "It's madness, some of the roads that the buses are going down. At the very minimum there needs to be a zebra crossing where children can cross."

Tricia Anderson, who has two children who go to nearby Davenant Foundation School, said: "It's my worst nightmare that I will get a call saying one of my kids has been killed. It's an accident waiting to happen.

"How a child has not been killed on that road I will never know. I've asked the council to put speed bumps in all the way along but they haven't listened."

Davenant head teacher Chris Seward said he was planning to contact Essex County Council about the dangerous nature of Chester Road.

He added: "It's a concern because cars that drive along there do crash and also have been seen doing U-turns in that area, so it's dangerous."

County councillor Chris Pond has also voiced fears.

He said: "I'm not surprised at this accident. I've not heard of moves for a crossing but I would certainly support it. It's an extremely dangerous road."

Loughton Residents' Association has promised to rally people together to pressurise the county council.

Association vice-chairman David Linnell said: "I know there have been problems with the speed of the traffic down there. A zebra crossing would be a good solution."

County council statistics show one serious crash and five injuries within the last five years close to the school, but a spokesman said this was not enough to take action.

Anyone with information about the crash, which happened at 3.45pm last Thursday, should call PC Pete Sharp at the Chigwell road policing unit on 01279 621804.