A CAMPAIGNER has slammed council claims it takes road safety seriously after a boy was knocked over and an angry driver threatened gun violence this weekend.

Residents in Prospect Road lobbying Redbridge Council for better traffic calming measures in the 20mph zone have said they are “more determined” than ever after two “shocking” incidents happened within 24 hours of each other.

Just before 4pm on Saturday (July 23) the London Ambulance Service was called to reports of a car crash on Prospect Road, where they found a young boy had been hurt.

He is believed to have been hit by a car and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Just over 24 hours later at 7.30pm on Sunday, police were called to an altercation between two drivers after they came “inches from crashing” at the Cherry Tree Rise junction of Prospect Road.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We were called to reports of a road rage incident at the Cherry Tree Rise junction of Prospect Road.

“Officers attended after reports one of the people involved in the altercation threatened they had a gun.

“After conducting a thorough search of the area, nothing untoward was found and no arrests were made.”

In response to campaigners’ previous complaints about its “failure” to reduce the volume and speed of drivers in Prospect Road, Redbridge Council said it “takes its responsibility toward road safety incredibly seriously”.

A spokesman for the council said: “Like all councils, we prioritise road safety work in areas where there is a history of serious or even fatal injuries, so we can use our limited budget to fund projects that have the most impact on improving safety.

“In the three year period prior to Prospect Road’s 20mph speed limit, there were six accidents involving personal injuries and since it was introduced this has dropped to zero.

“Against this background it is clear there are other areas in the borough that must be prioritised.”

After the council only offered residents a scheme where they record the speeds of dangerously-fast drivers themselves, lead campaigner Giles Hodgson has accused Redbridge of “completely abdicating responsibility.”

The 37-year-old said: “The community road watch scheme they have offered us is a complete abdication of the council’s responsibility to its residents.

“The council saying they take road safety seriously is an absolute joke – they clearly don’t give a stuff about people in Prospect Road.

“It’s going to take someone getting killed for them to actually do something about this.”

Mr Hodgson added that he is not prepared to take part in the road watch scheme after witnessing the violent clash between drivers last weekend.

He said: “I wouldn’t expect anyone, myself included to go out with a speed camera, where drivers are known to get so aggressive they threaten to use guns.

“A little boy being knocked over in the same weekend is even more upsetting – when are they actually going to do something about this?

“If they only take action on roads where are there are serious or fatal accidents, are they waiting for someone to get killed?”

A Redbridge Council spokesman said: "Firstly we would like to make it exceptionally clear that the responsibility to enforce speed limits, investigate accidents and indeed any allegations of criminal behaviour rests with the police.

"We recently reviewed Prospect Road and upgraded the safety features including larger signs and notices.

"We consulted residents on introducing speed humps in the Prospect Road in 2010, but residents themselves objected to it.

"The safety of residents is of paramount concern to the Council and we take our responsibilities incredibly seriously."