PUPILS have put their creative skills to the test to design a logo for a road safety campaign in Hartlepool.

Highway officers asked for ideas to promote the Dyke House Comprehensive School casualty reduction initiative.

Now, elements of the best suggestions have been incorporated into one logo that will be used to give the campaign the highest possible profile.

The main part of the design came from Laurie Reed, who won a mountain bike supplied by Jim Facchini, and there were contributions from Simon McEvoy and Laura Allen.

The casualty reduction initiative was launched earlier this year, in the light of statistics showing that the area is the worst in the town for accidents involving under-16s.

Andy Simpson, accident and emergency consultant at Hartlepool General Hospital, said: "Telling a child's parents their son or daughter has been seriously injured or killed as a result of a road accident is probably the worst aspect of my job. Any action that prevents accidents should be commended."

Bill Jordan, headteacher at Dyke House said: "I was delighted with the response of pupils to the logo competition. They all deserve credit for their imaginative ideas."

Traffic calming and engineering works could also be carried out to slow vehicles