What’s the price of a child’s life?

A CHILD will be killed if a busy road continues to be used as a short cut.

That's the warning from a resident who has seen youngsters cutting through a damaged hedge to cross Broadhall Way in Stevenage.

Fay Schwarz, who lives in Fellowes Way which backs onto the road, said: "The kids use a shortcut over the dual carriageway. The council's response is the same old answer - lack of funds.

"What is the price of a child's life?"

She added: "Children are putting their lives at risk, trying to cross this road. It is an accident waiting to happen.

"Something has to be done to get the safety point across to others and get something done about it now, before a child is lost."

A Hertfordshire County Council spokesman said: "It is extremely worrying to hear that people are crossing such a busy road and we strongly discourage anyone from trying to cross this type of road.

"We would urge them to cross at the nearest zebra or controlled crossing point.

Hertfordshire County Council said it would investigate who owns a hedge and wall which separates a housing estate from Broadhall Way in Stevenage.

The wall and hedge have been damaged as more and more people use it as a cut through to the road.

"The county council don't own many hedges or highway boundary fences, so it is unlikely that we would own this particular hedge.

"This is because we don't have to fence off the highway and if there is highway one side and private housing the other side, it is usually the developer that puts up the fencing.

"We will however look in to this and try to identify ownership of this hedge, and take the necessary action.