'I fear for my family's life' - Stratford Road protest as road safety 'getting worse'
Drivers sounded their horns and gave the thumbs up as members waved placards at the junction of Stratford Road and Fox Hollies Road in Hall Green this afternoon, Sunday, July 13.
There have been countless fatalities on the A34 with locals branding the stretch to Poppy Island a racetrack.
READ MORE: Birmingham New Street Station services hit by 'major problems'
READ MORE: Birmingham landmark to vanish after nearly 100 years - taking two sports with it
READ MORE: Locations of six new speed cameras on Birmingham roads - full list
Last week, the council announced it would be introducing average speed cameras along Stratford Road from Coniston Close to Robin Hood Lane.
The news was welcomed but the group said a rethink of the road layout was also due.
Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join
Ethan Akotiah, 22, who lives off Stratford Road, said: "It's terrible, it's getting worse and worse.
"My nan was in a collision and so was my mom. It's constant and the parking on the red lines is terrible.
"People can be aggressive and I fear for my family's life. Hopefully the speed camera will make a difference."
Better Streets member Shivaji Shiva, from Moseley, said: "I've come here to show our support for local people, this is a city-wide issue.
"This is not pedestrians against drivers, it's about people in Birmingham trying to move safely. I think this road needs a redesign and this and other roads can be made safer."
Kleem Altaf, 47, from Hall Green, said: "We are here protesting because there's been an increase in dangerous motoring in the area. It's endemic across Birmingham and we are not immune to it in Hall Green.
"There have been fatalities on this road and people who have been lucky to survive."
Road safety commissioner and NHS doctor, Mat MacDonald, said: "It's heartening to see so many people and I'm 100 per cent behind them. Average speed cameras have had a positive impact on speeding which is probably the main concern here."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Hundreds demonstrate in protest-hit UK town
Hundreds of demonstrators from rival groups marched through a UK town on Sunday under tight police security amid tensions over anti-immigrant protests. It was the latest in a series of demonstrations in Epping, northeast of London, after an asylum seeker was charged earlier in July with three counts of sexual assault, including allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. But only about 400 people from rival groups demonstrated in the town, as police put in place a tight security operation, erecting barricades to keep them apart and banning the wearing of masks. Essex police said they had "a robust policing operation in place to protect our community and to deal swiftly with anyone intent on causing crime or violent disorder". Protestors gathered outside the Bell Hotel in the town, which has been used to house asylum seekers and refugees, despite pleas from the local council to close it down. "They're a threat. They don't know who they are, who they're allowing in these hotels, and basically they're putting everybody at danger", one protester, who identified herself only as Cathy, told AFP. There was also a counter-protest by the organisation Stand Up To Racism, who chanted "refugees are welcome here' and "Whose streets? Our streets". Three people were arrested Sunday but the protest went off "peacefully," Essex police said in a statement. The issue of thousands of irregular migrants arriving in small boats across the Channel, coupled with the UK's worsening economy, has triggered rising anger among some Britons. Such sentiments have been amplified by inflammatory messaging on social networks, fuelled by far-right activists. Almost exactly a year ago on July 29, 2024, three young girls were stabbed to death in a frenzied attack in northwestern Southport. The shocking killings stoked days of riots across the country after false reports that the killer -- a UK-born teenager whose family came to the country from Rwanda after the 1994 genocide -- was a migrant. Nearly 24,000 migrants have made the perilous journey across the Channel so far in 2025, the highest-ever tally at this point in a year. vid-jkb/pdh/jj
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Public help identify unknown cyclist who died at roadside
Detectives have thanked members of the public who helped identify a cyclist who died at the roadside in Helensburgh. The man, thought to be around 70-75 years of age, was pushing a distinctive green Claud Butler bike in the Argyll and Bute town at about 11:50 on Saturday when he collapsed. Emergency services attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police could not initially identify the man however, after a public appeal, they now believe they know who he is - though formal identification has yet to take place. The death is not believed to be suspicious and is being treated as unexplained. A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal. Det Sgt Neil Allison said: "I would like to extend my thanks to those people who called in to assist with our appeal. "We believe we now know who the man is which has been helped by the assistance we received from the public." More stories from Glasgow & West Scotland More stories from Scotland
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Missed opportunities' in case of man who took his own life at HMP Liverpool
Prison staff "missed opportunities" to help a suicidal man at HMP Liverpool in the weeks before he took his own life. Daniel Edwin Fielding, 38, was found hanged in his cell on the morning of January 19 last year. The dad-of-one, who arrived at the prison on remand on October 13 2023, was known to suffer from mental health problems, and was on mood-stabilising medication. He had been placed on an emergency Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) twice due to incidents of self harm - once on December 13, and again on December 30 - but these were closed following further assessments. At a five-day inquest in June, coroner Johanna Thompson said: "Danny had a history of problems with his mental health and some illicit drug use, and he had made attempts to end his life and to harm himself in the past. READ MORE: Liverpool street where residents put up a chain to keep people out READ MORE: Large emergency response after object spotted next to railway tracks "He was sadly found in his cell on the morning of January 19 2024." A jury handed down a unanimous conclusion of suicide. Following his death, an independent investigation was carried out by the Prisons and Probations Ombudsman. A report published on Friday, July 25, said Mr Fielding "had several risk factors including an extensive history of deliberate self harm and suicidal thoughts, mental illness diagnosis, personality disorder diagnosis, recent contact with psychiatric services, impulsiveness, relationship difficulties, and drug use." It found there had been "missed opportunities" in dealing with the ACCT plans - both of which were put in place after Mr Fielding's mother left voicemails reporting her son had self-harmed. A PPO spokesman said: "We have some concerns about the management of these ACCTs. Given Mr Fielding was regularly seen by a substance misuse worker, it would have been good practice to invite him to ACCT reviews. "Despite Mr Fielding disclosing he was in debt during his first ACCT assessment, staff never subsequently discussed this with him or offered him support. "The first ACCT opened had no care plan to identify ways to support Mr Fielding and lessen his risk to himself. When staff closed the first ACCT, no healthcare staff were present, nor did they provide any input. Given Mr Fielding's mental health diagnosis and prescription... this was a missed opportunity to holistically assess his risk. "The Head of Healthcare told us she would expect staff to provide a written contribution if they could not attend a review. However, both prison and healthcare staff told us that this did not occur in practice. "Staff closed his second ACCT after one day. Neither of the members of staff present had any previous knowledge of Mr Fielding or his significant risk history. Given this lack of knowledge, we consider this was premature, particularly as Mr Fielding said that the festive period was a trigger for him, and it was New Year's Eve." They said prison staff had "placed too much emphasis on what Mr Fielding said, rather than objectively considering his known risk factors". Additionally, no attempts had been made to contact Mr Fielding's mum, Margaret Farley. However, the ombudsman added: "We have not found anything to suggest that staff should have considered he was at increased or imminent risk of suicide when he died, or foreseen his actions." Ms Farley told the inquest that she had called HMP Liverpool several times to express her concerns, and had left several voicemail messages on the safer custody answerphone. The PPO said: "Staff responded to two of these calls, on one occasion almost 24 hours after receiving the call. The prison could not identify calls that Mr Fielding's mother said she made on 17 October, 7 December, or 9 January. "When asked how members of the public would raise urgent concerns about a prisoner (as it could be considered these were), staff said that they should leave a message on the answerphone. We do not consider that this is appropriate where there are concerns about an imminent risk to a prisoner. The public should be able to raise these directly with a member of staff to act on immediately." A separate "action plan" report said a full debt reduction strategy has since been developed by HMP Liverpool, aimed at understanding, preventing and responding to prisoner debt within the prison. The inquest had heard Mr Fielding had disclosed being in debt for vapes. The plan also recommended: "The Governor should ensure that welfare checks are clearly defined in Liverpool's Safer Strategy, that staff complete welfare checks in line with this strategy and that there is a robust quality assurance process in place to ensure these checks are done correctly." This followed findings that a prison officer did not complete an adequate welfare check on Mr Fielding on the morning of his death, as when she looked into his cell at 7.55am, "he had already hanged himself at this time, which she failed to notice". The PPO said: "HMP Liverpool will review and update the current safety strategy to ensure that welfare checks are clearly defined. Staff will be reminded of the process for completing welfare checks when the revised strategy is published. Welfare checks are recorded daily and signed for in each wing's roll book."