CHILDREN hope to make the streets of their neighbourhood safer by helping produce a road safety leaflet.

Pupils at Howden-le-Wear Primary School have provided the artwork for a pamphlet to be distributed to homes in the village.

Durham County Council's highways department produced the leaflet to encourage residents to take more care on the roads after five road accidents involving children in as many years.

Pupils drew pictures and wrote slogans for the circular, urging motorists to drive carefully.

Headteacher Val McCourt said: "The children are very proud to have contributed to this campaign.

"We wanted to make sure that more children don't get hurt and hopefully drivers and pupils themselves will remember the advice."

Ann Corbett, of the highways authority, said: "In a village like Howden-le-Wear it is difficult to do engineering work to improve safety on the roads.

"The children have worked hard to produce some brilliant pictures for the leaflet. I hope that motorists take note, especially when the messages come from the children in the village."