A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy was knocked down as he was being taken across the road by a lollipop lady outside a Dunfermline school.

As the crossing patrol officer stood on the road, a driver ignored red traffic lights and struck the boy, knocking him to the ground.

However, Ross Sutherland, who lives nearby, denied this was a case of driving dangerously.

He claimed he was distracted by poor driving by others and failed to see the red lights, the lollipop lady in her high-vis jacket and two children on the road.

However, after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, Sutherland, 40, of Brucefield Avenue, was found guilty.

He was convicted of a charge that on February 1 last year in Woodmill Road, he drove a car dangerously by failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to comply with red traffic light, failing to adhere to a stop signal from a school crossing patrol officer, travelled through a pedestrian crossing when it was not safe to do so and collided with a pedestrian, a six-year-old boy.

The boy was knocked to the ground and hurt his elbow but, fortunately, avoided more serious injury.

Linda Williams, 52, was the crossing patrol officer outside the Commercial and St Margaret’s primary schools that day and said the incident occurred at around 8.40am when the area was still relatively quiet.

“The first bus came in and a boy and his sister were the first ones off. The lights went to red and I stepped out into the road with my stick up. I saw a white car coming and presumed it would stop.

“I turned to tell other kids not to come onto the crossing as it was about to change. I then heard a thud and heard the boy call out. When I turned back, he was on the road with his sister standing over him and I took them back to the pavement.”

Sutherland told the court he was distracted by bad driving of others around the school.

“It was very busy. There were cars, buses, pedestrians, dogs, children walking on the roads.

“I was taking into account all my surroundings which is why I drove through the red light.

“I was concentrating on everything around me and it was a momentary lapse of concentration where I missed the light.”

He admitted he had not seen red light, the crossing officer or the children.

Sheriff Charles MacNair found him guilty and called for reports. Sutherland was banned from driving until he is sentenced.