A LONG-AWAITED school crossing on Middleton Stoney Road is now expected to be complete by September, in time for the new school year.

Work on the crossing started this week after a year-long campaign by locals, and the now Oxfordshire County Council has said it will be finished within months.

The campaign, spearheaded by Kingsmere Residents Association, was launched officially in May 2017 over concerns for schoolchildren at St Edburg's primary who cross there on school runs and church trips.

On Tuesday this week, delighted headteacher Margaret Kunzer and some of her pupils went to see the work starting for themselves.

Mrs Kunzer said: "The children of St Edburg's CE Primary school were really pleased to see that work had finally begun on the controlled crossing on the Middleton Stoney Road.

"The children had been campaigning for a crossing ever since the school re-located to Kingsmere in January 2016."

She said that pupils had been proactive throughout the campaign, pressing local councillors and Banbury MP Victoria Prentis.

Mrs Kunzer also added that last summer the children had met with road safety officers to present a petition and posters highlighting the dangers they faced.

Work on the new toucan crossing is thought to be costing upwards of £75,000, some of which is being covered by Kingsmere estate developer Countryside.

Mrs Kunzer added: “It has been really important that the children had engaged with this issue and that their concerns had been listened to."

The children also expressed their relief that they would soon be able to cross the road safely.