CHANGES need to be made to the pedestrian crossings in Regent Circus before someone is seriously injured, according to a woman who was knocked down by a car there yesterday.

Claire, 47, of Old Town, who did not wish to give her surname, was struck by a silver Ford Galaxy on the crossing outside Rudi’s shortly after 9am.

With an apparent gap in traffic, Claire attempted to cross the road, but the car ran over her foot and knocked her to the floor.

The woman driver pulled over and checked on Claire, who was tended to by ISG staff at the leisure complex building site across the road.

Claire is now calling for changes to be made so there aren’t more accidents.

“This is not a proper crossing,” she said. “There is no way of knowing who has right of way.

“There are no signs. It shouldn’t take for me to get hurt for things to change.”

South West Ambulance Service was on the scene with a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance at 9.04am, before calling Wiltshire Police at 9.10am. Claire was treated at the scene.

“The car was going slowly, but when I saw her she was way back, so I stepped out but she didn’t stop,” said Claire.

“I put my hands out to try and stop the car and it knocked me down. It ran over my foot and knocked me off my feet.”

One of the ISG workers to tend to Claire, who chose not to be named, said: “That’s a bad spot. It’s a Swindon Council scheme. We were told by one of our top boys it was taken from a Dutch scheme, where they obviously use a lot more bicycles.

“It’s terrible, it’s a grey area. When I see people crossing I tell them to tell the paper, because it’s unsuitable and it’s going to take someone to get hit to the ground before they do something.”

Eddie Agyeman, a road safety officer with ISG, also helped Claire after the accident.

He said: “We just saw somebody on the floor.

“We went straight over with some orange barriers to make her safe, but the ambulance was here within a few minutes.

“The car wasn’t moving at speed.”

A spokesman for Swindon Council said: “We have always said that the scheme will be independently checked and audited once it is finished, and if changes are recommended they will be fully considered.

“We aim to have the audit carried out in October.

“We approved the developer’s design for the scheme because similar schemes have worked well elsewhere in the UK.

“In response to the concerns that have been expressed to us, we have asked the developer to put up warning signs on the approach to the junction, which will remain in place once the scheme is finished, to make it clear to drivers that pedestrians and cyclists are in the area and they should drive with extra care.

“There are already signs advising drivers that it is a 20mph zone.”