HUNDREDS of schoolchildren are to take part in road safety lessons with a difference.

Following a successful Government bid for Kerbcraft, Tracee Hall-Young has been appointed as the scheme's co-ordinator for three years.

Her first aim is to recruit 30 volunteers for each of the ten schools in the Grangetown, South Bank and Eston areas.

Ms Hall-Young said: "We want anyone with an interest in road safety to get involved and, of course, that is sure to involve lots of mums, dads and grandparents.

"We'll organise the training. Then it will be one-to-one work with the children for an hour a week."

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has held a three-day training programme for a dozen other councils in the North, to enable them to train their new Kerbcraft co-ordinators and road safety officers ready for the schemes to start operating by April.

Councillor Sylvia Szintai, lead member for environment and infrastructure, said: "Road safety is one of the most important things any child can learn.

"We're delighted to have been one of 35 successful councils out of 65 who made bids and now we are looking forward to recruiting as many volunteers as we can as quickly as possible to ensure the programme is a real success."

Grangetown Primary School pupils will be guinea pigs as co-ordinators rehearse Kerbcraft's three phases, a 30-minute weekly training session for each child, designed to be spread throughout the school year.

The scheme will focus on three main areas most associated with risk - identifying safe and dangerous roadside locations, crossing safely at parked cars and crossing safely at junctions.

The other target schools are Atlee Road, Alderman William Jones and St Marys RC, all in Grangetown. Beech Grove, Cromwell Road, St Andrews RC and St Peters RC, all in South Bank, and Whale Hill, Eston and Teesville.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer at one of the schools should contact Ms Hall-Young on (01642) 444784.