Children from a Harborough school get health and safety road advice at a Leicester charity visitor centre

Children from a Market Harborough school have been getting vital health and safety road advice at a Leicester charity visitor centre.

Youngsters from the town’s Little Bowden Primary School visited the Warning Zone life-skills centre at Frog Island.

The complex now has a new pedestrian crossing in its road safety zone, helping pupils stay safe on the roads.

The realistic pedestrian crossing has been developed by County Hall highways teams.

The initiative is being supported by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership (LLRRSP), highways infrastructure company Colas Ltd and traffic light supplier TRP Products.

The road safety zone gives children an insight into the dangers of using a mobile phone or headphones when crossing the road.

There is also advice on how to keep safe while cycling.

Cllr Ozzy O’Shea, the county council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, visited the new zone with pupils from Little Bowden Primary School.

“Teaching our children about road safety is incredibly important.

“By working with the organisations who are involved in producing ‘real-life’ road schemes, it ensures the zone is as realistic as possible and offers children the safest environment in which to learn,” said Cllr O’Shea.

“I want to say a huge thank you to the companies we work with on highways projects who have helped us make improvements to this zone a possibility with their kind donations.

“We are so lucky to have the Warning Zone close by to help us protect and prepare our children and we are keen to continue to support the centre.”

Other safety areas at the Warning Zone include fire risks at home, water safety and understanding the dangers of electricity.

Elaine Stevenson, the chief executive of the Warning Zone, said: “We are so happy to have a real, working pedestrian crossing in our road safety zone.

“It’s been made possible by a lot of generous support.

“The children are loving it.”

Jonathan Clarkson, of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership, said: “The Warning Zone helps us get vital road safety messages out to primary-aged schoolchildren and the newly-installed pedestrian crossing in their road safety zone will further enhance the visitor experience.

“We are very grateful for the support provided by the county council for a worthy local charity which welcomes pupils from across the city, county and Rutland.”