A BALLOON race involving ten primary schools across Redcar and Cleveland took place last Friday to celebrate the first year of a road safety training and learning scheme.

Redcar and Cleveland Mayor Norah Cooney was at Whale Hill Primary School, Eston, for the lift-off.

She congratulated those who had taken part in the Government-funded Kerbcraft programme, which has involved 50 volunteers and more than 300 children from the schools in Grangetown, Eston, South Bank and Teesville.

Tracee Hall-Young, Kerbcraft co-ordinator and member of the council's road safety unit, set up training sessions for the volunteers, who then went back to their schools to become trainers themselves.

Each child received a special certificate after successfully completing the kerbside awareness exercises, which concentrated on recognising safe and dangerous situations and crossing safely at parked cars and junctions, all aimed at reducing accidents around school.

Ms Hall-Young said: "We have had a really successful first year and I would just like to thank everyone who has made it such a success."

The balloon that is picked up furthest away from Whale Hill School will earn prizes for both the finder and the youngster it belonged to.