SAFETY campaigner Graham Chappell has likened the roads running alongside Fenland drains to having a serial killer in our midst. His comments came as he recorded an extraordinary video outside Shire Hall, Cambridge, before delivering his safety manifest

SAFETY campaigner Graham Chappell has likened the roads running alongside Fenland drains to having "a serial killer in our midst."

His comments came as he recorded an extraordinary video outside Shire Hall, Cambridge, before delivering his safety manifesto to all 60 county councillors.

Mr Chappell, who earlier this year launched The Fenland Road Safety Campaign (Charlotte's Way), travelled to Cambridge to urge the county council to ask for Government help in providing barriers on many Fenland roads.

Shortly before going into Shire Hall, he recorded an interview - now turned into a DVD which he is making widely available- he claims the death of Charlotte Walker earlier this year was avoidable.

Charlotte, 9, died when a car being driven by her mother went into the 16 ft near March and prompted Mr Chappell, a family friend, to launch his campaign.

"Charlotte's death was avoidable," he says. "She would almost certainly be with us today if there were safety barriers along that stretch of the 16 ft drain and there are so many other families with similar stories to tell."

Mr Chappell says council officials would be happy to have everyone believe that safety barriers cannot be built along Fenland roads but he says he has evidence to prove they are effective and do save lives.

"Two thirds of all fatalities on these roads are due to vehicles going into the water," says Mr Chappell. "What we have effectively is a serial killer in our midst and if it is not dealt with effectively it is likely to take another 20 lives in the next 30 years."

He added: "Who in their right minds could say barriers would not help lives on these roads ? To say we should not bother about barriers is about as sensible as saying cars should not be fitted with brakes because they don't always stop in time."

Mr Chappell says the letters and documents delivered to Shire Hall "represent the moment of truth." If the council says barriers are not to be provided on any grounds than financial "they would be flying in the face of logic and reason and everyone involved would be complicit in the deaths of everyone who loses their life in the future because of the lack of barriers.