TERRIFIED parents are appealing for help in slowing down speeding traffic outside a school after two pupils were almost knocked down in the space of a week.

Parents and governors of Wat's Dyke Primary School in Garden Village claim pupils are risking their lives every morning crossing New Road, despite recent council-introduced traffic calming measures.

Chairman of governors, Paul Norton, is leading the campaign, highlighting what he describes as a 'very real and growing problem'.

He said: 'One of the children who was nearly clipped by a car, was trying to cross the road at around 8.30am last week to get to her bus.

'The day before, a boy was leaving in the afternoon to get to his bus and again was almost struck. It's endemic of a much bigger problem; traffic in the area has built up significantly over the last five years or so.'

These latest incidents follow a collision a month ago, in which Wat's Dyke pupil Harry Cross was struck by a car outside the school.

Mr Norton is concerned recent changes aren't having the necessary impact.

He said: 'I sat outside with a lollipop man one day and we counted 846 vehicles in one hour, and very few were travelling at the appropriate speed.

'Cars will even drive around the lollipop person. We have had so much difficulty in filling the position because it's such a dangerous spot.'

Residents are also hesitant about proposals for further housing development in the area, fearing it will only add to the traffic problems.

Mr Norton said: 'There is a development proposed to take place about a quarter of a mile away that will see 58 houses being built, and 14 others across the road from that. Large numbers of parents, local residents and elderly people are scared about crossing the road safely, it can sometimes take up to 10 minutes to get across and something needs to be done.'

Garden Village councillor, Gordon Roberts, agrees the problem of speeding vehicles needs looking at. He said: 'It is bad. I would say that, at peak periods, New Road is the busiest in Wrexham. Even when the community council went along to the proposed site of the new children's home, we found out a boy had been knocked down just half an hour before.'