ROAD safety experts leapt into action after a nine-year-old schoolgirl was in a near-miss with a car.

The Charford First School pupil was very shaken after a car nearly hit her as she was crossing the A38 by-pass on her way to the Charford Road school on Friday, February 4.

Her father Steve Williams, of Stoke Road, called the Highways Partnership Unit (HPU) at Bromsgrove District Council to complain about the dangerous highway and asked for something to be done.

Senior technician at the HPU Stephen Hawley went straight to the scene to investigate what could be done.

Now he has arranged for 'hazard marker bollards', or fluorescent posts, to be fitted along the edge of the Stoke Road pathway which will cost just a couple of hundred pounds. He said this would stop cars mounting the pavement.

They should be fitted by the end of March.

Dad Steve said: "This is a very busy junction and I welcome the council's positive commitment in recognising the absolute need for immediate improvements to install simple but effective pedestrian safety protection bollards and pavement kerb repairs.

"For scores of children from Aston Fields, this is the only crossing point to and from their school, twice daily."

In an ironic twist the youngster won a bike in a county council road safety competition last year, presented by John Dakin, area road safety officer.

Mr Hawley said: "It's a good solution - it's cost effective and it will improve pedestrian safety." He added that longer term safety plans were being investigated and said: "Mr Williams was very concerned so we tried to act as quickly as we could."