Oldham is one of the most dangerous UK areas for pedestrians, according to new research.

It comes after several high-profile cases in recent months including the sentencing of the driver who caused the death of 10-year-old schoolgirl Lily Rose Morris.

Research by Claims.co.uk based on an analysis of Office for National Statistics data on road collisions said Oldham is the sixth most dangerous area in the UK for pedestrians, with 21.7 per cent of crashes between 2012 and 2021 involving a pedestrian.

This meant Oldham had an average of 42 pedestrian crashes each year.

Top of the list was the City of London, which saw 28.18 per cent of its crashes involve a pedestrian, for an average of 61 a year.

Also ahead of Oldham were Dundee City at 24.3 per cent (32), Westminster at 24 per cent (285), Glasgow City at 22.2 per cent (175) and Camden at 22.1 per cent (134).

Oldham wasn’t the only Greater Manchester borough to make the top 10 most dangerous list, with three of the city-region’s 10 boroughs making the cut.

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In seventh place was Liverpool at 21 per cent (157), followed by Manchester in eighth with 115 per year and Bolton in ninth with 54 per year, both of which saw around 20.5 per cent of crashes involve pedestrians.

Inverclyde rounded off the list as the only area featured in the top 10 where pedestrians were involved in fewer than a fifth of crashes.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for Claims.co.uk said: “While some areas in the UK may have a considerably large amount of collisions involving cars, it’s interesting to also where the hotspots for pedestrian collisions are as well.

“It’s essential to see this information nowadays too, with many cities turning more and more walkable with time, and this list highlights potentially where work needs to be done.”

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The figures follow a number of high-profile incidents in recent months.

In August, Mark Fensome of Diggle Street, Shaw, was jailed for nine years and disqualified from driving for a total of 12 years and six months after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

He killed 10-year-old Lily Rose Morris when he hit her just days before Christmas 2021 in Sholver.

Two men were also found guilty last month of causing death by dangerous driving, following the death of 16-year-old Alisha Goup, who died in February while walking to college. They are due to be sentenced on Monday.

In June a child was taken to hospital after being hit by a car while riding their bike in Oldham, just weeks before a similar incident in Chadderton left a 27-year-old needing hospital treatment.

A crash in December, meanwhile, saw a 67-year-old woman put into an induced coma after she was knocked off her mobility scooter while she used a pedestrian crossing in Shaw.

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Oldham Council said figures in July showed it had ‘the best annual reduction’ of incidents in Greater Manchester, with incidents falling 36 per cent compared to the previous 12 months.

Commenting on the fall in July, Councillor Chris Goodwin, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Figures that show fewer people are being injured on our roads are always welcome.

“The safety of road users is a priority for the council, and our partners, and that’s why it’s a key part of our Transport plan for the coming years.

“We are looking to create a road network that supports motorists while at the same time promotes walking and cycling as a safe way to get about.

“Unfortunately, there will always be collisions and accidents, and sadly there is no getting away from that. Our officers continue to monitor our roads and will take action, including putting new safety measures in place if they are needed.

“Everyone has a responsibility to reduce accidents on our roads. So, if you are driving a vehicle, keep to the speed limit and drive responsibly making sure you are aware of other motorists, cyclists and pedestrians at all times.”