A head teacher called for action after five cars were involved in accidents on black ice outside her school today.

Kathryn Brooks claimed the crossing patrolman at Blakehill First School in Highfield Road, Idle, risked his life as he guided children across the road in icy weather.

Five cars left the road within 90 minutes on the bend outside the school early today, one ending up embedded in a wall.

Mrs Brooks said the bend was finally gritted at about 9.05am. "The lollipop man takes his life into his hands when it's cold because the cars can't stop in time," she said. "The road is never appropriately gritted at the right time -- it's a total black spot.

"Something should be done, especially when the bad weather has been forecast in advance.

"When we had snow a few weeks ago, Highfield Road was in another world. Everywhere else had gritters.

"It is terribly dangerous for the children and the lollipop man. I came in at 7.30am and from then on I just watched accidents."

Idle firefighter Mick Davis, who went to the scene, said: "It was just a sheet of ice. The road hadn't been gritted.

"Accidents happen there all the time. The road is completely untreated in bad weather." PC Tony Call, who also went to the scene, said: "You stepped out of the car and it was just like a skating rink.

"The road hadn't been treated and we asked for a gritter at about 8.20am."

He said parents were dangerously parking on the bend despite his police car being there with its flashing lights, police signs and several damaged cars.

"The behaviour of some road users was ridiculous." He said none of the people involved in the accidents was seriously injured. "There were just some cases of minor whiplash."

Chairman of the council's highways sub-committee, Coun Phil Thornton, said: "All the agreed roads were gritted at 8pm last night and through the night."

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