A WORRIED shop owner from a Malvern village has launched a petition demanding more to be done to protect pedestrians and wildlife from speeding motorists after she was left horrified to discover several ducks had been run over by an irresponsible driver.
Ros Davies who has run Hanley Swan Village Stores for more than 14 years said ‘enough is enough’ following the incident earlier this month which is claimed to have killed three ducks just outside the shop on the village’s main B4209 Hanley Road.
She is demanding Worcestershire County Council do more to protect Hanley Swan by increasing the amount of safety warning signs in and around the village.
The online petition, which can be viewed on the Change.org website, was launched over the weekend and has already received more than 100 signatures.
Mrs Davies said a mobile speed camera can be seen in the village sometimes but she is calling for more permanent safety measures to be put into place.
Speaking to the Observer, she said she found the incident on June 2 so upsetting it forced her to get her concerns into print and launch the petition.
She hopes to formally submit it to county council chiefs and the county’s police and crime commissioner John Campion in the near future and is urging people to suggest ideas to her to see what could be done.
“It’s a race track here at times and something needs to be done – things can’t continue the way they are,” Mrs Davies said.
“All roads leading to Hanley Swan are straight and it is very inviting for motorists to speed their way through the village. Some do not obey the speed restrictions and have no consideration how fast they are doing.
“The incident was bad enough that it involved ducks but it could easily have involved children. Everybody loves the village which is well known for its wildlife and it is now time to say enough is enough. We need something permanently set up to slow people down.
“We need to highlight this issue to everyone inside and outside our village to make sure that people know they cannot continue to speed through Hanley Swan.”
Eye-witness Duncan Williams, a village resident and retired police officer, told the Observer the incident was one of most callous he had ever seen.
Mr Williams saw the ducks being run over while he was walking in the village during the evening.
“I was absolutely stunned and could not believe a driver would be so irresponsible,” he said.
“I’ve never seen anything so callous. My biggest fear is that it so easily could have been a couple of children feeding the ducks wishing to cross the road to get an ice cream from the post office.
“It was extremely sad. It played on my mind for a few days.
“I support Ros’ campaign. It seems in Hanley Swan its a competition of who can get through the village the quickest. It’s lethal.”
The Observer understands police have made enquiries and took statements about the incident.
To see the petition in full visit www.change.org and type in ‘Hanley Swan’ in the search box or visit Hanley Swan Village Stores’ Facebook page – www.facebook.com/hanleyswanstores/.
