OFFICIALS will look into claims that there are road safety issues at a footpath in Brampton.

Resident John Robinson set up a petition to call for improvements to the section of the footpath in Tree Road.

On Tuesday (January 30) he was allowed time to present his petition, and highlight the various safety issues in the area, at a meeting of Cumberland Council's highways and transport strategic board at Cumbria House in Carlisle.

He said it did not have dropped curbs and added: "In this day and age we should have a proper footpath."

Mr Robinson said that the residents who had signed his petition were the people that the councillors were supposed to serve. He added: "Please give us a footpath and look after the safety of the public."

According to his petition he is calling for the road single track, with priority to the vehicles travelling up the hill, and the existing is highly dangerous for pedestrians, the disabled, pushchairs and wheelchair users.

Councillor Mark Fryer (St Johns and Great Clifton, Labour), the leader of the council, wondered if he had approached his local community panel or had he brought the matter straight to the committee?

Mr Robinson said he had not gone anywhere else and councillor Roger Dobson (Corby and Hayton, Lib Dems) said he was well aware of the petition.

Committee chairwoman councillor Denise Rollo (Harrington, Labour) told members that the proposal had the support of ward councillor Mike Mitchelson (Brampton, Conservative) and he described the footpath as "narrow and impractical".

Nick Raymond, the council's senior manager for highways delivery, told members that they would investigate the issues and the matter would be brought back to a future meeting.

Karl Melville, the council's assistant director for highways and transport, said: "Every safety issue needs to be reported as it strengthens the case for that issue to be dealt with."

Members agreed that the matter should be investigated by council officers and their findings be brought back to a future meeting.