A 20-mile-an-hour speed limit is to be imposed around schools in Southampton.

The idea, which has won unanimous council backing, will see 20mph signs go up around each of the city's 91 schools by March next year.

The speed limit issue has been a personal crusade of one city councillor after a near-fatal road accident involving her own grandson.

At a city meeting, councillors heard children travelling to school had a nearly one-in-five chance of being involved in an accident.

In her maiden speech to the council, Cllr Carol Cunio proposed the scheme and made an impassioned plea for support, telling of the horror smash involving her grandson.

She said: "My grandson jumped from a bus and ran in front of it without looking. He was thrown in the air by a car, which was overtaking a bus. He hit the windscreen, which broke.

"He was thrown back onto the road and thank God landed on his big school bag. He was a week in the high dependency ward at the General Hospital and was off school for a further six weeks.

"Our family was fortunate and had a happy outcome from this. Other families are not so fortunate.

"Our children in our city schools are our hope for the future. Let's do everything in our power to keep them safe."

She refused to discuss the matter further with the Daily Echo.

Harefield councillor Adrian Johnson, a former hospital accident and emergency nurse, backed her call.

He told members: "In this city, there is an 18 per cent chance of your child being involved in a road traffic accident within yards of the school gates.

"I have worked in emergency medicine for seven years and have seen many horrific injuries relating to school pupils. Speed kills. By slowing down, we will reduce the number of children who are killed and injured."

Special "Green Travel Plans" to help children get to school more safely are also set to be introduced.

They will involve developing safer routes to school for pupils by using "walking buses" as well as raising awareness of road safety issues for both parents and pupils.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety for motorists' organisation the AA, said: "Most people would say it is the place where a 20mph limit is most warranted. It would have huge public support.

"Unfortunately, only 20 per cent of accidents happen on the school journey and the vast majority of those don't happen outside schools. The idea does have overwhelming support and the AA wouldn't oppose that but you have to wonder how much respect the limit will get on a Sunday evening."