A MOTHER believes it is only a matter of time before someone dies trying to cross the road outside the new Castlepoint shopping centre in Bournemouth.

Mum Caroline Patrick says she sees near misses daily between speeding cars and pedestrians trying to cross Castle Lane West next to the centre.

She claims the layout of the busy stretch of road is similar to a dual carriageway - two lanes with a metal fence on the central reservation - which she thinks gives motorists the wrong impression, encouraging them to put their foot down.

Talking from her Wordsworth Avenue home, close to the centre, she said: "The other day I'd gone to collect my ten-year-old son Sam and a friend from the school bus stop next to Strouden Library.

"The pedestrian crossing indicated for us to cross but as we were stepping out I was aware out of the corner of my eye a car hurtling towards us.

"It didn't stop and if we'd been any further across it would have hit us. Children and OAPs with sight or hearing problems wouldn't have stood a chance.

"I've lost count of the number of times I've nearly been knocked down. It's a miracle no-one has yet been hit."

Strouden ward councillor Angela Manton, said: "It's of great concern to me that my constituents aren't safe and the council and developers need to do something about it."

Geoff Turnbull, the council's engineering services manager, said that the new road layout outside the shopping centre is currently undergoing a safety audit.

He said: "We have, however, recently observed some vehicles speeding through this 30 mph limit, mainly in the evening and night times.

"We have requested the developer, who is responsible for the design and construction of the road, to introduce measures at this point to address the speeding issue before the final safety audit.

"This may include red-light cameras at the traffic signals."