Lancing memorial garden dedicated to those who died crossing the A27 is tidied ahead of service

Around 15 residents and members of community group Keep Lancing Lovely spent Sunday tidying up the garden, which is located at the southern end of the footbridge, and planting flowers donated by the Lancing Lions.

Keith Stainer, a member of Keep Lancing Lovely, said: “It looks ten times better than before.”

A short re-dedication ceremony is due to take place at 10am at the memorial garden this Thursday (November 21), to coincide with Road Safety Week.

Students and local dignitaries have been invited to the ceremony, which will be presided over by the chaplain of the Sir Robert Woodard Academy in Upper Boundstone Lane.

A school spokesman said that many of the people who died in the road were students who attended the school previously located on the site, which was called Boundstone Comprehensive School.

The footbridge was installed and opened in May 2005 after many years of meetings, protests and requests from residents, the MP and the parents of those killed or injured in the proximity of the pelican crossing that was originally installed in the road, the spokesman said.

Among those who attended a ceremony to mark the opening of the footbridge were the parents of Lyn Gutierrez, who died in December 1993 in accident on the A27.

A trophy in her memory is presented at awards ceremonies at the Sir Robert Woodard Academy.

Also in attendance were the family of Scott Purdie, who was killed aged 13 in February 1997 while he was on his way to school.

He was the 10th person to die on the A27, the school spokesman said.

It is not known who created the memorial garden at the bridge, or when it was set up.

SEE MORE: Worthing D-Day veteran passes away on Armistice Day

East Worthing and Shoreham: Hustings planned ahead of general election

Watch BMW driver narrowly avoid a head-on collision on Sussex A-road