FEARS that Haslemere shoppers are risking their lives as they cross a busy town centre road have been raised by two business owners.

Owner of the Lower Street antiques shop, Objets d'Arts, Bill French, and High Street shoe shop owner Grant Cockerill are calling for drastic improvements to be made on Lower Street.

Mr Cockerill said: "My shop is like a goldfish bowl - we can see everything that happens on the road, and there have been a great many near misses when pedestrians cross at Lower Street."

He added that he was concerned it would take an accident before Surrey County Council's highways department took action to improve the road.

Mr French claims that he frequently has to guide elderly customers and parents with prams and small children across Lower Street.

"It is extremely busy throughout the day and the evening, and the traffic travels at dangerously high speeds," he said.

"Pedestrians crossing that road have to run the gauntlet; they are taking their lives into their hands," he added.

Mr Cockerill agreed with Mr French and said that he too feared for the lives of those unable to move quickly out of the path of oncoming traffic, particularly the elderly and mothers out shopping with their children.

They have suggested that a pedestrian crossing would help to solve the problem and have had several conversations with council officers about the possibility of such as installation.

But a spokesman for Surrey County Council's highways department told The Herald that an application for the crossing would have to be submitted in writing, and that the earliest possible date at which this could be considered would be September.

If the application was successful it would then be added to a shortlist, which would be reviewed in the early stages of next year.

"If the proposal was shortlisted, work would start, at the very earliest, within one year, but more usually in two years time," the spokesman added.

The shopowners have also suggested that a crossing should also be installed on Petworth Road, near Woolworths.

Mr Cockerill said: "The hazardous roads mean that parts of the town are isolated because customers do not feel safe to wander up the street.

"It is not an easy problem to solve but I certainly feel that a crossing would help to improve the safety and comfort of pedestrians."

• Objets d'Arts owner Bill French has been the victim of crime for the seventh time in the past six months.

Thieves smashed the windows of the shop causing £3,000 worth of damage to the stock and the premises at around 3-40 am on Wednesday. Valuable crockery was taken.

Mr French, who was the victim of a brutal mugging in January, said: "We are closing on Saturday for a refit. We will be fitting extra security measures."

The shop will reopen on its 25th anniversary, April 2.