Pupils pass on the road safety message

The team at the new Mersey Gateway team is backing a campaign launched by Cheshire Police to reduce accidents in Runcorn.

The initiative called on pupils at five primary schools to undertake road safety training sessions and then produce posters to be entered into a competition to educate residents and children about road safety.

And now the winning posters are being displayed at the Gateway construction site on Warrington Road in Castlefields.

The posters were unveiled on Thursday during national Road Safety Week when Merseylink took the winning entrants to see their artwork first-hand and treated them to a tour of the new Mersey Gateway bridge.

Competition winners Elliot Raymond Yensen, from St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Amelia Jones, from Bridgewater Park Primary School, Alisha Mills, from The Brow Community Primary School, Elliott Bromley, from St Mary's C of E Primary School and Rose Clarke, from Astmoor Primary School were chosen from more than 350 entries.

Jill Doyle, communications manager at Merseylink, said: "We are delighted to support such a worthwhile initiative aimed at reinforcing the importance of road safety to motorists, pedestrians and in particular children.

"Every day, five people are killed and more than 60 people are seriously injured on UK roads, so its vital to help develop children and young people's understanding towards road safety to give them the best chance of keeping safe around traffic."

PC Zoe Bowden, from Runcorn local policing unit, said: "I would like to thank all of the children who took part in this competition, as well as our partner agencies who helped us to deliver this vital training.

"The enthusiasm shown by all of the children during the training was outstanding and I hope that it will make a real difference in the community."

The competition was sponsored by Plus Dane Housing, Liverpool Housing Trust, Halton Borough Council and the Mersey Gateway Project.