Sub-Station Danger Worries Mothers

5.43.50pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 18th Oct 2004

Sub-Station Danger Worries Mothers

Concerned parents of children at the Shakespeare Infant and Junior Schools in Eastleigh, along with local residents, have signed a petition to Southern Electricity to improve safety at the local electricity sub-station.

The petition has been signed by more than half of the parents at the junior school in St Catherine's Road, worried that the broken fencing around an electricity sub-station near the grounds of the school creates dangers for local children.

Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne who will be the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Eastleigh and Cllr Chris Thomas collected signatures today from local mothers Anna Johnson, Lynne Lescop, Claire Moody and Nicky Rose, (pictured), on the petition.

" Children can easily gain access to the main area around the steel box and happily ignore the warning signs saying high voltage and danger of death" said Mr Huhne. "Southern Electricity has had repeated requests from parents to repair the fencing, but so far it has done nothing"

Cllr Chris Thomas, whose children attend the school, said that the broken fencing had been a source of concern for parents for some time but nothing seemed to shake Southern Electricity's complacency. "This is a small job, but Southern Electricity must take responsibility before there is an accident".

Cllr Thomas pointed out that the positioning of the sub-station next to one of the entrances of the school made the broken fencing all the more of a temptation. "Seven year olds don't take much notice of danger warning signs even if they can read them," said Cllr Thomas.