Woman says Greenwich street scheme puts son's life at risk

A mother says she fears metal bollards placed outside her home will put her three-month-old baby's life at risk.

Miriam Kennedy, 35, whose son Amos has congenital heart disease, said the bollards were being put in as part of a school street closure.

She said she feared an ambulance might be delayed reaching her home in New Eltham, Greenwich, because of the road being blocked.

Greenwich Council said an ambulance would be able to access the street.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich said the school street - the sixth in the area since 2018 - was designed to increase safety for children both in terms of air pollution and road safety.

Both ends of the road are closed off during drop-off and pick-up times.

Mrs Kennedy, a mother of two from Northern Ireland, said there were currently only plastic bollards in place outside her home on Ivor Grove, but metal ones would be drilled in next week.

She said she understood the importance of reducing pollution but was "really scared" the current scheme would put her son - who had open heart surgery at 12 days old - in danger.

"The worst fear is that he won't make it, that something terrible would happen," she said.

"I feel really scared, I feel fear in my own home during these hours because if anything were to happen to him in case of an emergency I would obviously call 999 for an ambulance. But when they arrive they'll have big metal bollards in the way."

Mrs Kennedy said the council promised her a key to open the bollards if she needed to.

But she added: "To be quite frank, if I am in that situation I wouldn't want to leave my child and home to go and open up bollards in order for me to be able to get emergency care."

Council leader Danny Thorpe said: "I want to reassure everyone that emergency vehicles will always be able to get in and out".

He said it would "actually be easier" for them to get around as the scheme would reduce traffic that would normally be blocking the road.