PEDESTRIAN crossing campaigners were appalled to be proven right last week when an Alton girl was seriously injured as she tried to cross Butts Road.

The accident, which occurred at the height of the rush hour at around 5-45 pm last Friday, has reinforced calls for action before someone is killed crossing what is an increasingly busy entrance to the town.

The 17-year old student was attempting to cross from The Butts towards Lincoln Green when she was in collision with a car approaching from the right.

The girl, who has not been named, sustained a broken right leg and head injuries, and is now recovering in hospital where she is reported to be doing well.

The driver of the car, an 18-year-old learner driver who was taking a lesson at the time, was unhurt but severely shaken.

Butts Road was closed very briefly at Borovere Lane and the Butts roundabout, so that police could stabilise the road situation.

According to Pc Mike Batten of Whitehill Traffic division, the police are not anticipating any proceedings against the driver.

"She didn't seem to be at fault in any way. It looks to be a case of unfortunate circumstances," he said.

While widely acknowledged "as an accident waiting to happen", the incident has nonetheless shocked local people, adding urgency to their calls for a pedestrian crossing to enable children in particular to cross the road in safety.

Although plans for a toucan crossing are on the cards, many are outraged by the time it has taken Hampshire County Council to recognise the need and take action.

Since losing their lollipop man last November, parents with children at nearby Butts Primary School have been campaigning in earnest for a crossing, which they believe should have been installed years ago.

Campaign leader Moira Galliver is angry that such an accident - and especially one involving a young person - should have occurred at all when a pedestrian crossing could have prevented it.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later, but it is an awful way to be proven right," she said.

Mrs Galliver is not the only one to pray that the accident will reinforce the case for the early installation of a crossing.

County councillor Tony Ludlow has confirmed that, while a crossing is on the programme for this financial year, the project is awaiting a final decision, to be taken by executive member for the environment, Keith Estlin, on May 14.

The proposal is to install a toucan crossing, for pedestrians and cyclists, following a reworking of the Butts Road junction with Albert Road.

The crossing would be on the east side of Albert Road, nearer to Miss Bell's fountain.

According to Dr Ludlow, it is hoped that, being slightly closer to the town, the crossing may encourage more people to use it.

It would be fitted with detectors to pick up user movement and should not interrupt traffic flow when not in use.

The proposal, he said, was to be put to Mr Estlin with a "strong recommendation" that it should go ahead.

And, while "horrifying", he, too, felt that Friday's accident could only reinforce the need for such a crossing.

"It was exactly the accident everybody predicted," he said.

Originally scheduled for a decision in March, the delay in forwarding the project has apparently been due to problems with layout design.

If approved, there will be a period of time to sort out the legal side of the installation, including a period of public consultation but, Dr Ludlow assured, work should start as soon as the decision is made, with an expected switch-on time of September.

In the meantime, Dr Ludlow has noted calls from Moira Galliver for temporary signs to be installed along Butts Road, alerting drivers to the fact that children do have to cross the road unaccompanied and on a regular basis.

He has agreed to look into the matter with some urgency.