Cats killed by ‘speeding’ cars on key St Annes road

Ysabelle Amos, 12, lost her one-year-old cat Nala when it was knocked down outside her house on Highbury Road East on the night of September 9.

Her dad Paul, 45, was alerted to the tragedy by a passer-by who said he saw a speeding car hit the cat.

He said: “It was in next door’s driveway, just lying on the ground. Knowing it was my youngest daughter’s cat about how she felt about it, having to pick it up and bring it into the house nearly killed me.

“Ysabelle had put so much time and love into this cat and it feels incredibly unfair that she has suffered this loss.

“She was completely distraught.

“People may think that they don’t legally have to slow down or stop because it’s ‘just a cat’, but this is the impact it can have on a young girl and her family.”

Nala, a white shorthair, had been a joint birthday and Christmas present for Ysabelle, and the Lytham High pupil had used her own money to pay for her injections and microchip.

She is the second cat the family has lost to allegedly speeding traffic.

Paul, a postural consultant, said: “Highbury Road East is one of the main link roads between the motorway and the coast. It’s a 30mph zone, but people still do 40 or 45 on it. It can be quite dangerous, particularly for pets.

“You may not be legally required to stop for cats, but drivers need to be more aware, because it’s never ‘just a cat’ to the owners. It means a lot to a lot of people.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “In response to previous concerns reported to us, the speed management group, which is a partnership between Lancashire County Council and the Police, has recently assessed this location to consider whether we are able to introduce any active measures as part of our speed management programme. We look to target locations where casualties and speeds are higher to identify where we can introduce appropriate measures, which may include police enforcement, installation of temporary signs, community road watch, engagement and education.

“We have provided advice on how the local community could work together to raise awareness of the concerns about road safety, however as a result of the assessment we are not able to prioritise active measures for Highbury Road East.”