A MEETING is to held next week to inform residents about proposals to close a level crossing in Wirral.

Network Rail wants to replace the crossing at Elm Grove in Hoylake.

The move is part of a £130m investment to remove the out-dated crossings from the railway system.

Around the country, nine people have been killed at them in the last year.

Figures from Network Rail also show that 453 pedestrians and motorists were involved in near misses and ten cars were struck by trains.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “As part of our commitment to reduce the number of level crossings on the railway, we are proposing to close Elm Grove and are looking into alternative ways of crossing the railway and accessing local properties.

“Elm Grove is a crossing for authorised users only and we will be meeting with them on Monday to discuss the situation.”

Letters have been sent to residents living near the crossing inviting them to the event.

Network Rail spokesman Martin Gallagher told the BBC yesterday: "Where a road or footpath meets the railway there will always be a risk.

“Tragically, for a few people every year, this results in injury or loss of life.

"We want to reduce the chances of this happening as much as possible."

Network Rail is investing in making level crossings safer by building footbridges, adding new barriers and deploying new technology.

Mr Gallagher said under the company's current safety programme, 700 crossings had been closed in the last three years.

"If we're not able to close a crossing, we want to raise awareness of how to use crossings safely and the risks associated with getting distracted or ignoring warning signs," he said.