AN urgent appeal is being made to schools and parents to keep youngsters away from a multi-million pound work site, over the holiday.

Road chiefs are concerned that children on their break from school could use the A66 Surtees Bridge construction site as a playground.

Arun Sahni, project leader of the Highways Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Transport, says playing among the site's large items equipment, piles of rock and sand, "and myriad other temptations'' could risk serious injure, if not death.

"All carry potential dangers to the unwary," he warned.

He said: "All of us want children to enjoy their holidays free from risk of serious injury or death."

The contractors carrying out the work have appointed a liaison officer, who is offering to visit local schools and talk to pupils about the dangers of playing on the riverside construction site.

An average of 55,000 vehicles a day use the dual-carriageway bridge at Thornaby, which is being demolished and rebuilt in a £14.3m project that will see its four lanes replaced by six.

Work is not expected to be finished until September.

Mr Sahni said: "This safety message is particularly important as we approach the start of the Christmas holidays, when children will have spare time on their hands and so might be tempted to seek adventure in places where they would be putting themselves at serious risk.

"It is vitally important that parents and teachers support us on this, by reminding children that building sites are not adventure playgrounds - they are busy working sites that can be dangerous places, and children should stay away from them.''

For pedestrians and cyclists wanting to get across the bridge, the Highways Agency has provided a free minibus which runs from 6am to 10pm seven days a week.