Article by St Helens Star:

PEOPLE continue to take their lives in their own hands to cross a busy dual carriageway rather than use a subway.

Mothers pushing prams and cyclists have been seen clambering over the central reservation on the East Lancs rather than use the underpass, which many claim is often littered with used syringes and as a gathering place for gangs of louts.

One photo snapped by a shocked passer-by shows three youngsters balancing precariously on the barrier on the central reservation yards away from a pelican crossing.

The need for a safe crossing point was brought into sharp focus in the past year following the death of schoolgirl Yasmin Carney, who was hit by a car at the junction with Moss Bank Road, a short distance from the subway.

Neighbours called for a footbridge or pelican crossing but after a series of consultation meetings road bosses rejected these suggestions.

Instead the gap in the central reservation barrier where Yasmin (12) crossed the highway was blocked earlier this year.

And £30,000 is being spent on electronic signs urging drivers to slow down, improved lighting and signs directing pedestrians to so-called safe' crossing points, such as the subway.

However many are too intimidated to use the underpass.

Angry mum Emma Davies (26) from Moss Bank claimed she came across bloodstained syringes when she used the subway with her two toddlers.

Emma, a hairdresser at St Helens College insisted that if people are expected to use the subway, it should be regularly patrolled and maintained.

She told the Star: "The odd bit of abuse I can deal with, but it's the dirty needles that annoy me.

"It's disgusting down there. Every time a camera is put in, it's burned out. Why don't they put them in steel cages to protect them!"

A council spokesperson admitted that any cases reported to the environmental protection department would be dealt with and any debris removed.