Rothwell road safety heroes to patrol streets and keep school mates safe

Pupils at a Rothwell school will don hi-viz vests to monitor parents' illegal parking and issue warnings to reduce risky behaviour.

The team of 'Road Safety Heroes', appointed by Rothwell Victoria Infant and Junior Schools, has volunteered to keep an eye on school-run motorists who insist on dropping off their children at inappropriate locations.

Using a scheme developed by the Highways Safety Team at Northamptonshire Highways, the Rothwell Road Safety Heroes will begin their road safety awareness campaign tomorrow morning (Friday, March 18).

Rothwell Town Council has backed the campaign, using a grant from the office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire, to buy police officer-shaped signs to remind motorists of the rules.

The schools' executive headteacher Ashley Izzard-Snape said: "It's been an ongoing issue for years. We have constant reminders to people and residents have complained for years.

"We hope that the Safety Heroes will make everyone's journeys to and from school safer. If a child hands out a parking notice they may think twice."

The heroes have been issued with high-viz jackets, backpacks, badges, notebooks and pens to use on their daily patrols - they can hand out the yellow warning notices to inconsiderate car users.

Mayor of Rothwell Cllr Cedwien Brown said: "We have had issues with parking for a long time. It's people dropping off their children and It's only a matter of time before there's an accident.

"This scheme is the most viable option and the children can be Road Safety Heroes."

The police-shaped mobile bollards will be put in position outside the schools in the morning and afternoon to deter motorists from parking illegally.

Roads around the schools are very narrow and parents and carers have been known to stop in the street to drop children off.

Keith Millard, senior behavioural change officer for North Northants Council, said: "Part of the role of the Road Safety Heroes is to make people take responsibility. It should improve the situation in the area."

The scheme has been backed by the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance - a countywide partnership between Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service, The Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Northamptonshire Highways representing North Northamptonshire Council, working to make roads safer and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on county roads.

Ian Boyes, Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance community liaison officer for NNC, added: "We are pleased to support this initiative. We have been looking to do something for some years, so it's good to be here at the start."

To join in the Road Safety Heroes scheme click here.