Coun Karen Renshaw (Lab, Ardsley and Robin Hood), along with members of Winthorpe Residents' Association, are appealing to Leeds City Council to tackle the drainage problem on the footpath between Crescent Bungalows and Station Lane, which is a well-used route, to Thorpe Primary School.

After months of fighting for improvements, Coun Renshaw says she is worried that conditions will worsen as winter sets in.

She said: "Conditions on this school route are awful. I am appealing for the council to solve what is simply a drainage issue in order to make sure these youngsters are safe.

"These mums should be applauded for leaving the cars at home and encouraging their kids to walk. If the council is committed to improving the health of children in Leeds, they need to act to support communities like Thorpe."

Harry Horner, chairman of Winthorpe Residents Association, said: "We just want to get this sorted. Ever since the motorway was widened the drainage problem has got worse and worse.

"Things were really bad this summer. The school sent out letters warning us about raw sewage in the water. Unfortunately, with the recent rain the flood water has got even deeper."

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council said: "We have carried out maintenance works to improve the drainage of this footpath and have installed a new drain and pipe to take away the excess surface water.

"Unfortunately, although these new drainage facilities have much improved the situation, the footpath lies at a low point which takes the surface water run off from the surrounding land and causes standing water problems that can take a while to drain away after heavy rainfall.

"We will reinspect the site and assess the current situation and determine what more can be done."