A LOVING husband has helped to create a lasting legacy to his late wife by improving road safety in Burtonwood.

Alan Lomax, of Melrose Avenue, started a petition last year for traffic calming measures in the area following a near-miss with his wife Rene, who died two months later on June 6, 2018 at the age of 74.

Now, 'Rene's Crossing' is almost completed and is due to be fully open by August.

Alan, 78, described the terrifying incident which made him determined to make the community a safer place to be.

He said, "We walked together, holding hands as we always did, down Colne Road to get to Burtonwood Community Centre by crossing the very busy thoroughfare of Chapel Lane.

"On arriving at the kerb, Rene made a simple mistake that many have made.

"She put one foot off the kerb and onto the road without looking to her right.

"The key to her narrow escape from serious injury was holding hands.

"After pulling her back I held her in my arms, a crying, trembling loved one who was in danger of going into severe shock.

"All this happened to her while in recovery from her second stroke and it wasn't easy to calm her down.

"In the short time she had left, she was always in the company of two or more friends or myself when crossing the road to the community centre.”

Rene's memory lives on in the community, with many residents picking up the name 'Rene's Crossing' in her honour.

Alan added: "If she knew about this she would pull me to one side and say 'what are you playing at?'.

"She was a fantastic photographer, a chef, a hairdresser, but above all, she was a wonderful mother and wife."

Councillor Cathy Mitchell, who has supported Alan's efforts, said: "Warrington Borough Council held a public consultation in October 2018 to seek views in relation to proposed traffic calming measures for the village.

"There was a very positive response to the campaign, which I supported, and officers listened to and took on board those concerns and put the crossing into the final scheme plan.

"The pedestrian guard rails are now in place so you can see where the crossing will be."

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Should people want more information on the scheme, they can visit the council's website

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