The mother of a six-year-old girl hit by a motorbike while on the way to school in Kingston has started a petition for a safe pedestrian crossing.

Jessica Yates, six, broke her collarbone in the accident at the junction of the Leatherhead Road and Merritt Gardens on the way to Lovelace Primary School.

Her mother, Sarah Yates, 36, who is a childminder, was walking with Jessica, her brothers Jacob, five, Joseph, eight, and two other children on Wednesday, September 21, when she was hit.

Mrs Yates said: “It was just a terrifying experience and one I would never wish on anybody.

“So many people use that crossing every day. We want Transport for London to put in a pedestrian crossing.”

The children were all wearing high visibility jackets, waiting on the edge of the road, when a petrol tanker stopped to let them cross to the middle of the road.

A female motorcyclist managed to swerve but the bike slid on its side into Jessica, knocking her to the floor.

Ambulance staff initially thought she had spinal injuries and took her to Kingston Hospital, but she was released that evening with a broken collar bone, cuts and bruises.

Mrs Yates, who lives in Harrow Close with her husband, said the current traffic lights, which are a popular crossing point to get to and from Ellingham School and St Phillips School, were not enough.

The A243 Leatherhead Road is one of Kingston’s busiest roads with traffic cutting through from the M25 past Chessington World of Adventures to meet the A3 at Hook.

As of Friday morning the petition on Kingston Council’s e-petition website has received 165 signatures.

A spokesman for Transport for London said: “Our thoughts are with the girl involved in a collision with a motorbike on Leatherhead Road.

“We continue to have discussions with the the council about potential safety improvements to the road network.”

To see the petition visit Kingston Council's e-petition website