A STUDY to assess whether a pedestrian crossing is needed on Wootton High Street should not have been done on a Sunday lunchtime, a Wootton resident has said.

Island Roads undertook the survey outside the Sloop Inn, where pensioner Jacqueline Valvona was knocked over by a car last summer. She later died from her injuries.

Island Roads said it picked the time when the pub, known for its Sunday carveries, was at its busiest.

Local resident, Mike Waddington, who is campaigning for a new crossing, said it was a quiet time of the week and the results would not reflect the average amount of pedestrians who use the road, which he claims is busiest during rush hours.

He said: “Pedestrians were assessed on a Sunday between midday and 2pm and now I expect they will say the footfall in the area is not sufficient for a crossing. It is very frustrating.

“They should come back and do it between 8am and 10am, or 4pm to 6pm, on a week day.

“I know I have said it before, but I am really worried that someone else will be killed there.”

Calls for a new crossing have been backed by Mrs Valvona’s family, and during her inquest in December, IW coroner Caroline Sumeray raised concerns about the number of elderly people who crossed the road near the Sloop Inn, rather than walk up the hill to the existing crossing.

She wrote to Island Roads with her concerns, and senior accident investigator, Sgt Simon Morgan, said he would support a new crossing in the area.

A spokesperson from Island Roads told the County Press: “We can confirm we have provided a report to the IW coroner within the timescales requested.

“This confirmed Island Roads had undertaken a feasibility design and survey for a crossing, following an instruction from the IW Council.

“The survey considered vehicle and pedestrian movements in the locality and was undertaken at a time of the week — Sunday lunchtime — when data showed the Sloop Inn to be at its busiest.

“Island Roads will also be undertaking a further survey of vehicle and pedestrian movements during the busy summer period to enable the council and Island Roads to determine whether there is a need for a crossing at this location.”

Liz Kingston, clerk to Wootton Bridge Parish Council, said the parish council had received the Island Roads report and noted its contents and would await the results from their upcoming survey before they commented further.