PUPILS took a break from the classroom today (Wednesday, November 26) to give motorists a lesson in good driving near their school.

Children from Tow Law Millennium Primary School, in County Durham, used smiley and sad faced paddles to critique drivers on their speed.

The local police beat team joined forces with the school after constant complaints about motorists speeding through the village made the issue a police and communities together (PACT) priority.

PCSO Emma Donnelly, from the Weardale neighbourhood policing team, said: “There has been an ongoing problem with speeding vehicles in Tow Law, in particular along the High Street where the limit is 30mph.

“Clearly this is a significant concern for parents and the nearby schools when considering the road safety of their children.

“We have worked together with Tow Law Millennium Primary School to arrange an event which has been designed to tackle the issue with speeders in the village but also give some very important road safety messages to the children from the school.”

Headteacher Lisa Jackson said the school takes the safety of its children very seriously, including their journey to and from school, so was delighted to play its part in promoting road safety.

She said: "Since we lost our school crossing patrol we have tried to look at ways to help the children to cross the busy A68 safely as well as encouraging drivers to drive more responsibly through the town.

“We hope the event raises the profile of this cause."

Drivers caught breaking the 30mph limit can expect a warning letter in the post along with advice from the police about their skills on the road.

Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg praised the initiative.

He said: “A key priority for me is to improve road safety and tackle dangerous driving, in particular those people who travel too quickly on our roads.

“When the neighbourhood team in Weardale contacted me to let me know about this scheme I was delighted with their efforts.

“It’s a fabulous idea and I hope that involving the children in the action that we are taking will really strike a chord with the drivers and help us to alter their behaviour.”