PUPILS at a Hampshire school are brightening up their city’s wheelie bins – and urging drivers to slow down.

Two-thousand colourful dustbin stickers, designed by children at St Bede Primary School in Winchester, have been distributed to homes in the city.

The stickers, designed to fit on the side of wheelie bins, warn drivers of the perils of speeding in the city centre’s 20mph zone.

A creative competition was held at the school during an Eco Day earlier this term.

The winning designs came from Thomas Duxbury, in Year 2, and Rohan Bhattarar in Year 4.

Sarah Duck, headteacher, said: “The winning designs are colourful and striking and they really get the message across to motorists that they need to slow down for sake of pedestrians. It’s also been a wonderful opportunity to promote the importance of road safety to children.”

The school encourages pupils and parents to walk or cycle to school.

This year, 94.6 per cent of its 430 pupils walked to school – a rise of one per cent on last year. St Bede is also asking motorists to park further away from the school gates in Gordon Road to reduce the risks to children.

Bill Jarvis, managing director of project sponsor Winkworth Estate Agents and a St Bede parent, organised distribution of the stickers and gave prizes to the winners.

“I am so pleased to have been involved in such a worthwhile project with St Bede where my own children have enjoyed many happy years, and to be supporting road safety in the streets where all of our children live,”

he said. “The competition was brilliantly supported by the staff, council and children who produced some amazing designs for the stickers.

It was a very tough decision to pick the winning entries, but the clarity and vibrancy of the designs by Thomas and Rohan won the day.”

 

The scheme is supported by Hampshire County Council’s school travel planning and road safety teams.