by Lorraine King A busy crossing where a schoolboy was mowed down and killed does not allow enough time for pedestrians, according to a report. Richie McDonagh died while trying to cross the North Circular Road at the junction of Brentfi

by Lorraine King

A busy crossing where a schoolboy was mowed down and killed does not allow enough time for pedestrians, according to a report.

Richie McDonagh died while trying to cross the North Circular Road at the junction of Brentfield Road, Neasden.

The 11-year-old from Lynton Close, Neasden, was struck by a car and thrown into the pathway of a second, which also hit him on November 29 last year.

As the six-month anniversary of his death looms, the report from the London Assembly Lib Dems show that the crossing is one of the 427 across the city which do not give pedestrians enough time to cross the road safely.

Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for pedestrian crossings.

Richie's family have been at the forefront of calls to build a footbridge above the pedestrian crossing.

More than 600 people have signed a petition organised by the ward councillors Ann John, Colum Moloney and Zaffar Van Kalwala.

Martin McDonagh, Richie's father, told the Times it came as no surprise that the crossing was on the list.

He said: "I am very angry that the lights are not long enough.

"There are a lot of people who have complained about it and who agree that there should be a footbridge.

"If the lights were normal it might have saved Richie.

"I don't want any one to go through what we have been through. Until they install a footbridge they need to keep the lights on red longer so people get a proper chance to cross the road."

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport spokeswoman, obtained the figures after making a Freedom of Information request.

She said: "The death of Richie McDonagh should be a clear reminder to everyone that we must do more to make all our roads much safer.

"When crossing the North Circular Road is so difficult it is just shameful that TfL and Boris Johnson thinks it is acceptable to wait two more years before ensuring the pedestrian crossing meets long standing safety guidance."

A TfL spokeswoman told the Times 90 per cent of crossings had met the latest timing guidelines. She added: "We are working hard to upgrade the remaining sites. All of these crossings are safe and have always provided a safe crossing time.

"We have already upgraded more than 300 sites - in fact, 13 have been upgraded since this information was provided so there are now 459 sites scheduled for upgrade as soon as possible."

Detectives investigating Richie's death are still looking for the driver of the second car which failed to stop at the scene.

Information to Sergeant Chris Osborne on 020 8998 5319.

lorraine.king@archant.co.uk