SPEED limit zones outside schools have been recommended to tackle road safety concerns.

Hartlepool Borough Council is being urged to pilot a number of 20mph zones at schools in the area.

The recommendation is one of several made by the council's neighbourhood services scrutiny forum, which has spent two months looking at the question of whether speed restriction would be appropriate.

During its investigation, the forum received evidence from a wide variety of sources, including the public, schools, Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond, the town's MP Iain Wright, the council's road safety team and school crossing wardens.

A report, which will be presented to councillors later this month, details how six children were injured in the past three years.

These accidents happened outside schools during school hours, and all were categorised as slight injuries.

The forum was told that 20mph speed limit zones require physical traffic calming measures and that because that causes congestion and access problems for emergency vehicles, not all roads in the town are appropriate sites for such zones.

It noted that the Council is totally committed to reducing road accident casualties and that 20mph zones are soon to be introduced around the Rift House and Kingsley primary schools and are also proposed for Clavering School.

The forum's key recommendations, which will go to the council's cabinet for consideration on February 27, include the council compiling a policy for 20mph zones, to be followed by consultations with the public.

The policy should include criteria for implementing such zones outside schools, alternative traffic-calming measures for areas not suitable for 20mph limits and proposals for prosecuting motorists who flaunt the rules.

Councillor Kevin Cranney, chairman of the forum, said: "While members are aware of the council's budgetary pressures, a child's safety is paramount, and issues surrounding funding cannot be justified in this instance.

"Our final report reflects our concerns for children travelling to and from school and our commitment to ensuring that the authority addresses the road safety issues at every school."

For more information about the work of the council's scrutiny forums, log on to the council's website www. hartlepool.gov.uk/democracy/ overviewandscrutiny