A ROAD safety scheme in Hartlepool has been hailed a huge success after training 10,000 school children.

The pedestrian training project recently chalked up the milestone - nine years after being launched by the borough council.

Pupils in year three at all of the town’s primary school receive training over a 3-week period to give them the skills needed to cross roads safely.

They are taught the basic principles of the Green Cross Code and how to put them into practice. They are also shown how to find a safe place to cross and then challenged to find their own safe places. The children are taught how to cross a road safely where no such safe crossing point exists.

The importance of dressing to ensure they are easily visible to motorists is also impressed upon the children The training is delivered by a team from the council.

Paul Watson, the council’s road safety officer, said: "The pedestrian training scheme complements a wide range of other road safety initiatives which, together, have resulted in a gradual reduction in accidents.

"Training children how to safely cross roads also fits in with the on-going drive to promote walking to school as a healthier alternative to travelling by car."