A petition has been started calling for a safer crossing outside a school after a teenage girl was struck by a car.

The youngster, called Maicey, was seriously injured after she was knocked down near Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs on Friday morning.

The youngster was airlifted to Kings College Hospital in London following the incident along Broadstairs Road between 8am and 8.20am.

A grey BMW was involved in the collision with the girl at the junction of Green Lane, which is now being investigated by police.

An 83-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and was taken into custody to be questioned.

Now, Broadstairs mum Lucy Allen has started a petition to upgrade the existing zebra crossing - which Maicey was walking across when she was hit - with a puffin one.

The 45-year-old told KentOnline: “I started it because I heard the news and my daughter's at a school that's down the road from where the incident happened.

“Sometimes you've got to be proactive.

“Doing that school run, I just see so many children just wandering into the road and cars driving way too fast and too close together.

“I'm surprised something hasn't happened sooner, to be honest.”

A GoFundMe page has been started for the injured girl - who reportedly has fractures to her skull, spine and pelvis and a small bleed to the brain - and her family.

Mrs Allen added: “I just think it could be my daughter or anyone's child.

“As a community, it's important to support each other.

“Life is just so short. You drop your child off to school and you kind of bundle them out of the car and say, see you later, love you.

“No one would expect that that series of events would have happened like that. It's really heartbreaking.

“The basis of a zebra crossing is that it's by courtesy that you stop and that's why I really want something like a puffin crossing put in place.

“So there's that much more visual reminder of a traffic light to stop.”

Puffin crossings, or Pedestrian User-Friendly Intelligent crossings, have activation buttons and lights on the same side of the road as the pedestrian, but are also equipped with sensors that detect when people are present.

They are more up-to-date versions of pelican crossings where the “green and red man” signals are on the opposite side of the road.

Mrs Allen added: “There are three schools on that road from top to bottom and they all have children coming out at different times, so it's a very busy road.

“The other thing I really want put in place is a fence on the corner of Fairfax Road that goes towards Charles Dickens School.

“That would prevent children from walking into the road and direct them towards the crossing.”

The petition has 134 signatures so far and was started on Saturday afternoon.

She said: “There's been a lot of support. A lot of people have taken time out to sign the petition.

“As soon as the petition has had a little bit more time to get momentum, we will take it to local councils and then see what we can put in place and how quickly we can get the work done.

“I think really and truly it can't be ignored. It's so real in everyone's hearts.”

Police are appealing for anyone who saw the collision, or who was in the area and might have dashcam footage which could assist, to call Kent Police on 01843 222289 quoting 28-0256.