A GROUP of pupils at a school in Didcot have taken the fight for a pelican crossing into their own hands.

Students at Didcot Girls’ School have campaigned for nearly two years to improve safety at the “dangerous crossing” near their school.

They say there have been many near-misses and one pupil was hit by a car two years ago. She escaped with minor injuries.

Now a new group of Year 11 pupils has taken up the fight.

Lianne Wilson, 15, said: “As part of our coursework for GCSE citizenship, we have to campaign for something we feel strongly about.

“This is a crossing that we all use and it is dangerous.

“It’s quite near a roundabout and there are so many cars. A lot of children use the crossing and they are really vulnerable because they walk across it alone.”

Pupils want the zebra crossing in Wantage Road, also near St Birinus School and Manor School, to become a pelican crossing controlled by traffic lights.

They have put up posters, written letters, formed a Facebook group and petitioned local residents.

They even recorded a song, The Zebra Crossing Song, in 2010 urging council bosses to change their minds.

The current group of Year 11 pupils have questioned local residents about the crossing and plan to present a 1,000-signature petition to Oxfordshire County Council.

The girls also hope to speak to Didcot MP Ed Vaizey on a school trip to the Houses of Parliament later this year.

Headteacher Rachael Warwick said: “I am very proud of the girls and the active way they have become involved with this.”

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said: “We currently we have no plans to change this zebra crossing to a pelican crossing, but we will continue to monitor the situation.

“Unfortunately, like all highways authorities, we have very limited funding for this type of work at present.”