ROAD safety campaigners are celebrating the success of a speed limit campaign launched by a schoolgirl.

Vehicles using the busy Springvale Road, a popular route for schoolchildren and residents in Kings Worthy near Winchester, will now be restricted to 30mph instead of 40mph.

Both Kings Worthy Parish Council and Headbourne Worthy Parish Council had called for the speed limit to be slashed.

The issue was bought to light in 2010 by Sophie Johnstone – who was seven at the time.

The former Kings Worthy Primary School pupil wrote to the then Winchester MP Mark Oaten to launch a petition after her mother said she could not have a kitten because the road was too dangerous.

Her petition received more than 400 signatures.

One of the campaigners was Winchester city councillor for Kings Worthy Jane Rutter, who said she was delighted with the decision.

“It is something that local people have been asking us for many years. We have families and young children and the schools itself is keen for the speed limit to be reduced. It is something we have been asking for many years for the residents and it is something people in the Worthys will be delighted about,” she added.

“I think it shows that you should just not give up. If you think something is right, it is the right thing to do.”

The decision was made by Hampshire County Council.

County councillor Jackie Porter was also among those calling for cut in the speed limit.

She said: “I am very pleased that they finally made a decision because we did not want it to carry on any longer. I am involved with the walking bus and I hope it means more children will walk to school and I hope people will be more conscious of pedestrians.

“The 30mph limit tells people that this is a road where lots of things happen, where there is lots of side roads, it tells drivers they have to take care.”