ANGRY parents fear a child may be killed or seriously injured after the latest road accident outside a primary school on a busy road – which saw a four-year-old girl knocked down.

Christina Hambi became the fourth child to be hit outside Longshaw Primary School in Chingford.

The girl luckily suffered only cuts and bruises last Thursday as her mother Nichola looked on in horror.

Now parents and staff are calling for urgent action to prevent a tragedy.

Mrs Hambi said: “It was Christina’s first week at school – I’m still dealing with the whole thing. It knocked her skidding across the ground.

“I want something done – there should be speed bumps and there’s no way the speed limit should be 30mph.”

Now the Friends of Longshaw Association (FOLA), which is the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, and staff have set up a petition calling on the council to take urgent action.

Joint FOLA chairwoman Vicci Bass said: “In the past, the school has campaigned for speed bumps but the council refused. From what I’ve been told, they said that until there’s a very serious injury, there’s no case for it. Even if it were four children in ten years, it’s still four children.”

Mother-of-two Mrs Bass, whose sons are in Reception and Year Five at Longshaw, is mounting the campaign with her co-chairwoman Tracy Bell and they have 500 signatures.

Headteacher Carol Kirkland added: “It’s been written into the school’s travel plan that we’re requesting speed calming measures.

“Even at 30mph, it’s not really safe – it puts the children at risk and that was proved last week.

“The signage is pretty poor as well. At other schools, there are signs that flash the speed limit and in some areas there are signs tabout reducing speed.”

Mother Rebecca Bonnell, 39, of College Gardens, Chingford, helped to write the school’s travel plan.

She said: “We’ve used a lot of resources and a lot of time and effort trying to ensure safety for our children but there’s been absolute inaction.”

The petition will be presented to Hatch Lane ward councillor Marion Fitzgerald, who is also chair of governors at the school, in February.

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “I’ve been trying to get something done about the speeding for years.”

But the council maintained that no pedestrian injuries around Longshaw Primary School had been recorded in the past three years, meaning funding for road safety measures has been “focused on areas with less adequate provisions”.

Cabinet member for environment Cllr Bob Belam said: “The safety and well-being of the borough’s children is absolutely paramount and at the heart of our work.”

Police were called following the accident. No arrests were made and no criminal action is being taken.