Grandparents joined mothers and toddlers in a walk of protest to highlight traffic dangers in Angmering

About 30 residents walked the school route from the new Bramley Green estate to St Margaret's Primary School.

They are angry at plans by West Sussex County Council to expand the school to cater for the influx of new pupils from the estate rather than build a new school.

Among those protesting was April West, who was a school crossing patrol officer at St Margaret's for four years.

She said: "I have stood in the middle of the road and cars have just gone round me.

"There has been so many near hits. How long is it going to be before someone is killed trying to get to the school?"

Helen Watts, 20, of Ferndale Walk, took her three-month-old daughter Chloe with her on the demonstration.

She said: "When Chloe grows up I won't be letting her walk on her own to school. It's too dangerous. I think we should get a new school."

Grandmother Joan Brockhurst, 70, of Lloyd Goring Close, said: "The traffic is getting worse. The cars zoom past and drivers don't watch for people walking along."

The walk was organised by Angmering Parish Council with several councillors taking part.

Councillor Peter French said: "We achieved what we wanted and that was to highlight the dangers along the route, not just to schoolchildren but others, such as mothers with pushchairs."

A public meeting had highlighted backing for a new school but Coun French said many people thought St Margaret's should be expanded as well.

Points raised at the meeting would be put to the county council's schools organisation committee on May 20.

Councillors are to decide if the expansion of St Margaret's should go ahead.

Plans have already been rejected once by an independent adjudicator but the county council has put them forward again.