Angry parents fear a child could be killed if action is not taken to make a dangerous route to school safer for youngsters.

Families are having to cross the busy Rochford Road to get to Prince Avenue Primary School, in Hornby Avenue, Westcliff.

Then they have to tackle heavy traffic outside the school where there are no calming measures, except fading zigzags warning marks.

Although there is a zebra crossing in Rochford Road, parents claim traffic going to the A127 blocks the view of vehicles heading north, so cars often drive over the crossing without realising someone is using it.

This means children have to walk halfway across the busy road then wait to make sure cars can see them.

Audrey Smith, 38, of Keith Way, walks two of her children to school each day and fears there will be a serious accident unless measures are introduced.

She said: "We would like a lollipop man for Rochford Road, but nobody seems to be coming forward so we need some sort of traffic lights there or something.

"There is a zebra crossing, but everyone I have spoken to sees it as a total death trap.

"We are now teaching our children to stop at the zebra crossing then walk into the middle of the road to see if cars are coming in the other direction."

Mrs Smith would also like to see road humps outside the school to slow down traffic and zigzag lines repainted so drivers are less likely to park on top of them.

The school had a lollipop man in Rochford Road, but he left in May and despite an an advertising campaign, no one has been found to replace him.

Headteacher Sandra Fletcher said: "We appreciate the concerns raised by our parents and we are doing all we can to help through our school travel plan.

"We are working with the local authority to find the best way forward in order to solve the problem."

Ian Robertson, executive councillor responsible for making Southend safer, confirmed the council had struggled to find a new lollipop person.

He said: "Officers have written to the school asking it to write to parents to see if they know anyone.

"We agree with the parents someone is needed and it is fairly high up on the list."