A number of cats have been injured or killed on a major main road which has sparked outrage among residents.

Last week, a resident’s cat was killed by a car that was speeding on Bolton Road West in Ramsbottom which makes it the second cat that has died on the road this month.

On December 3, a female cat died after being hit on the same road. The woman who found the pet says it was taken to the vets in Bury where they confirmed “it passed away and took a big blow to the side of its head”.

She added: “Can’t believe people can be so ignorant and selfish to leave the poor thing on the road to bleed out.”

Speaking on the hit and run incident, one person wrote: “How can people just do that? If you hit a dog you have to report it but hit a cat, unless you’re an animal lover, too many just leave the poor things, breaks my heart that people can be so heartless.”

A week earlier, a cat was also injured on the road after being hit by a car and in May a 15-year-old boy was hit by a 50-tonne truck at the junction of Lumb Carr Road and Bolton Road.

Residents have raised their concerns over the safety of children and elderly people on the notorious main road in Ramsbottom.

Responding to these concerns, Ramsbottom councillor, Tom Pilkington said: “I can confirm that Ramsbottom councillors had been aware of difficulties crossing Bolton Road West, particularly for children and elderly residents.

“We're excited to announce a new puffin crossing will be installed imminently with the aim to reduce accidents and calm traffic.”

Ramsbottom councillors, Pilkington, Clare Cummins, and Spencer Donnelly pledged to deliver the puffin crossing as part of their local election campaigns in May 2022. Though due to “inflationary pressures” it was only recently signed off in late November.

An exact date for the crossing has not been confirmed as it is also weather dependent, but Cllr Pilkington anticipates it to be a matter of days rather than months.

He added: “Whilst we hope motorists drive with caution, we'd also encourage pet owners to take reasonable steps to protect their cats. Where possible, try to keep cats indoors at night and use reflective collars.”