Children have been tackling speeding in their community in a first for Ormskirk.

Pupils at the town’s Asmall Primary School were ‘on patrol’ on Thursday morning, alerting drivers to the dangers of speeding by conducting a School Road Watch on nearby Cottage Lane.



Sgt Craig Appleton and the Ormskirk Neighbourhood Policing Team joined Viv Clayton from Lancashire County Council’s Safer and Active Travel Team, volunteers from the Community Road Watch Scheme and local Councillors Adam Yates and Nikki Hennessy to help the children from Years 5 and 6 question drivers over their speed.







Pupils worked alongside uniformed Police Officers to monitor and record the speed of vehicles. Drivers who were caught exceeding the speed limit were stopped by the Police Officer, handed a warning notice, and then offered the chance to speak to the pupils.

The children told the drivers they were seven times more likely to kill a child if they hit them at 30mph than at 20mph, before asking them a series of questions, including ‘Do you know they speed limit on this road?’, ‘Why were you driving faster than the speed limit?’ and ‘What could you do in future to make sure you keep to the speed limits?’.





The morning was a big success, with over a dozen drivers stopped for speeding, helping to raise awareness of the 20mph speed limit around the school; police were also looking for illegal mobile phone use and any seat belt violations

Head teacher Michelle Speak told QLocal this morning: “We would like to thank everyone involved for helping to give the children such a great opportunity to learn about speed awareness and to promote it within our local community.

“The children got so much out of the day, from being able to question the police about their work to speaking to the drivers about why they were speeding.

“This is part of a programme of activities we have planned, which will also include making posters to put up on our roads and we're hoping to hold another patrol later in the year.”

Added County Councillor Nikki Hennessy: “It was fantastic to see the children taking part in this community activity and I’m so proud of how well they conducted themselves when talking to the drivers who were pulled over.

“They were so professional and polite and it had a real impact on the drivers.”

Said one parent after the event: “It looks like the activity had a real impact on drivers. Some of them were in tears after being pulled over and questioned by the children.”

Whether they were crocodile tears only time will tell – as a short cut for drivers from Ormskirk to Southport and vice versa there are regular instances of speeding on Asmall Lane and Cottage Lane by cars, wagons and tractors.