Children's busy junction protest

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The protest was sparked by a road crash on Tuesday

Dozens of schoolchildren have taken to the streets with their parents to protest at a busy Reading junction which they claim needs a crossing.

Residents demonstrating at the Oakley Road junction in Caversham, were joined by Reading East MP, Rob Wilson.

The move came after a lorry and a Mercedes car collided there on Tuesday. Parents said they feared a child could soon be one of those injured.

But the borough council said traffic calming measures had been introduced.

Rebecca Ranson, who lives nearby, said: "A lot of people live on one side of the road [and] the school is on the other side of the road in the valley.

Traffic congestion at the junction

"There are a lot of people at the last minute trying to get their kids to school, trying to get to work - the pedestrians come last in the pecking order in all that.

"We cannot wait for somebody to get hurt or even worse before we get a crossing."

In a statement, Reading Borough Council said: "A safety scheme was introduced in this area in 2000.

"The junction lining was refreshed as recently as January 2009.

"There have been four recorded personal injury accidents at this junction, none of which involved pedestrians."

The authority also said it was waiting for more information about Tuesday's traffic accident."