WILTSHIRE County Council says it hopes to switch on the signal-controlled crossing outside Southbroom Junior School by the end of the half-term break.

Work on installing the crossing, which residents and councillors had been campaigning to have for over five years, began in November.

Local people watched as the road surface was laid, poles for the lights were erected and, eventually just before Christmas, the lights themselves were put in place.

Christmas came and went and there was still no sign of the lights being brought into use. An officer from Wiltshire County Council's road safety department was due to come and show the crossing patrol officer how to use it, but he cried off at the last moment.

Another officer from the unit visited the school on January 7 to give children a road safety talk and the lights were supposed to come into operation the following week.

Staff and pupils waited patiently, but as the half-term break loomed no news of the switch-on had been received.

The Puffin crossing not only responds to a button being pressed but can also sense if someone is waiting to cross the road.

A county council spokesman said the council was aware of the concern over the length of time it has taken to bring the crossing into service, but said there had been a few problems with installation.

He said: "Although the kerbs and footways were completed before Christmas there has been a delay in commissioning the crossing control equipment.

"The company responsible had a huge backlog of work and this meant a delay of up to eight weeks.

"There have also been problems with the surfacing, which was initially laid incorrectly by our contractors, resulting in drainage problems.

"This had to be remedied before any anti-skid material or white lines could be put down.

"The good news is this work has now been completed and the white lines will be put down this week."

The new crossing will be tested during half-term week.

It is hoped it will be in operation when the children return to school on February 21.