A GROUP of campaigners have raised more than £1,000 by swimming Peterborough’s outdoor pool to raise funds for a safety barrier on a dangerous stretch of Fen road.

A GROUP of campaigners have raised more than £1,000 by swimming Peterborough’s outdoor pool to raise funds for a safety barrier on a dangerous stretch of Fen road.

The swimmers covered 100 lengths of the Lido, a total of 5km, to raise awareness and money for a barrier at North Bank between Whittlesey and Peterborough.

The fund raising event is part of a pledge to raise £15,000 towards the total cost of £45,000 for a 250m stretch of barrier at the black spot.

Graham Chappell, campaign leader and swim coordinator, said: “The target is achievable. We know we have raised at least £1,000 for this swim and we already have other events in the pipeline to raise funds.

“We have an excellent partnership with Peterborough City Council, local businesses and the community to get this scheme off the ground.”

Road safety campaigners have been meeting with members of the city council since November 2012 in a bid to get the barrier project installed.

In June this year talks with the city council resulted in a proposal that they might foot a third of the bill, campaigners another third and the rest could be met by local businesses and community groups.

Taking part in the swim was Matt Sharpe who survived a river immersion car accident at the North Bank in September 2012.

Also joining them was Donald Cliffe, whose brother in law Leslie George died at North Bank in 2008 and Bob Spooner whose partner Leslie Elding is a campaign trustee.

Other participants included Lee Fountain, a friend and work colleague of Leslie George, Holly Trundle a campaign trustee and Michelle Lynch whose first husband and son Jordan died in an accident in the Forty Foot drain, near Chatteris. Her family also took part in the swim.

Mr Spooner finished the event an hour ahead of the other swimmers and special mention was given to Mr Fountain who completed the event despite initially thinking he would not be able to take part due to health reasons.

The next fund raising event will be a car boot sale at the Ivy Leaf, Whittlesey, on Saturday September 28 from 9-1 and a family disco at the club from 7-11.30.

To book a car boot pitch or buy disco tickets contact Mr Chappell on 07505-726475.

Mr Chappell founded the Fenland Road Safety Campaign (Charlotte’s Way) group which partly helped to finance the installation of a barrier at Bedlam Bridge near March. He raised thousands towards the barrier and his campaign was launched following the death of his friend Andy Walker’s daughter Charlotte along the Sixteen Foot. NE Cambs MP Steve Barclay supported the campaign and persuaded Roads Minister Mike Penning to visit Bedlam Bridge personally to see how the barriers might work.