MP's fears for football walkers

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 13th Aug 2008

Urgent action needs to be taken to prevent a fatality or serious injury to pedestrians walking along Boxted Road at the end of football matches at the new Colchester Community Stadium.

Town MP Bob Russell - who is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Road Safety Group - has warned that the route being taken by people walking into Mile End is fraught with dangers.

He has asked Essex County Highways and Colchester Police to investigate and take immediate and also long-term action.

"For the first few hundred yards after leaving the Stadium there are no street lights. The pavement is narrow, and there is some overgrowing vegetation."

Referring to his walk back home in the dark after last week's night-time friendly game, Mr Russell said: "It was like walking along a country lane, except that this was a very crowded path - with buses travelling very close to the pavement, at what I thought was at a speed too fast for the conditions."

He added: "I am fearful that there could be a serious incident if this situation is to be a permanent feature after matches, and other events, at the Community Stadium which generates a large volume of pedestrians using Boxted Road."

In his letters to the County Highways and Colchester Police Mr Russell has asked that arrangements are made at this coming Saturday's League One match to ensure that pedestrians are not put at risk.

For the long-term he said: "In the interests of safety for pedestrians I believe the pavement in Boxted Road, from United Way to the entrance to the former Severalls Hospital should be widened.

"Further, I believe that street lights should be installed along this section of Boxted Road."

Mr Russell added: "If things remain as they currently are, then people walking along Boxted Road after matches at the Community Stadium will be put at serious risk. I therefore hope that the authorities will deal with this serious road safety issue as a matter of high priority."