COUNTY council leader Ken Thornber has pledged to fight for a pelican crossing outside a primary school in the New Forest, in defiance of Department of Transport rules which say the route is not busy enough.

A £50,000 safety zone was installed in Sway Road, Brockenhurst, last September after a long campaign led by parents and governors of the adjacent primary school.

But within weeks, parents and parish councillors were calling for an upgrade to the crossing, saying it was "poorly designed" and "no improvement on safety" for local children.

Now Councillor Thornber, Brockenhurst's county councillor as well as being leader of Hampshire's ruling Tory group, has thrown his weight behind the calls to add pelican-style controls to the zone.

At a meeting of Brockenhurst Parish Council, he promised fellow councillors and local residents that he would try to find a way around the problem that the crossing does not meet government criteria for an upgrade.

Armed with latest figures from a November survey, Cllr Thornber explained that for two hours of the day - school run times - the Sway Road safety zone IS busy enough to qualify for a controlled crossing.

But those rules also insist on the same busy level of pedestrian and vehicle traffic for at least four hours a day to justify the expense of a pelican.

"We don't qualify because of the DoT's horrible formula!" said Cllr Thornber.

"The two busy hours at this crossing are clear justification for a pelican, if we could only get a dispensation for two hours instead of four.

"I will continue pushing this. I don't believe in taking no for an answer if local people want a controlled crossing here."

Cllr Thornber said he would investigate the chances of a "parish partnership" deal, where the cost to the county would be slightly offset by a donation raised by the local community.

Parish councillor Nick Munnik, parent of a Brockenhurst Primary School pupil, pleaded for quick action. "We must do our utmost to get something done soon, especially as we have just lost our lollipop people," he said.