Parents have renewed calls for a crossing patrol outside an infant school in Stevenage after a car accident last Wednesday left a girl needing hospital treatment.

Police and paramedics were called to The Giles Nursery and Infants’ School in Durham Road at about 3.15pm to reports that a girl had been hit by a car outside the school gates.

The girl, understood to be a Year 6 pupil at Giles Junior School on the same site as the infant school, suffered leg injuries and was taken to Stevenage’s Lister Hospital.

She was later discharged, having suffered minor bruising.

The incident has prompted fresh calls for a school crossing patrol to be instated, with previous requests having been rejected by Hertfordshire County Council’s highways department.

Parents feel highways should reconsider its decision in light of this incident and the fact the infant school expanded from two-form entry to three-form entry in 2014, significantly increasing the number of pupils.

Sarah Walker, a parent who has tried for several years to get a crossing patrol instated, including starting a petiton for one, said: “It’s scary. I’ve had it where a car stopped to let us cross and the person behind them was in such a hurry they tried to overtake and nearly mowed us down.”

Parent Angela Grant added: “Earlier this week a driver drove on the wrong side of the road as you go towards the dual carriageway, so she could drop her children off at the gate without getting out of her car. She nearly knocked over a parent and their child.

“Also the speed of some of the drivers coming down the road does not help.”

In the school’s newsletter following the road accident, headteacher Rouane Mendel explained: “The child had been trying to get into a car outside the school gates that had not parked but was waiting with its engine running.

She added: “The road outside is very busy and the school has a very large number of pupils - more than 300.

“I am taking this matter up with the council’s highways department to see if there is any way they will revisit their firm position not to give the school a crossing or lollipop person.”

A county council spokesman said: “We are very sorry to hear about this incident. We are looking into the background relating to a school crossing patrol at this location.”