MORE than £300,000 in being spent on making journeys to school safer for pupils following several accidents at two hotspots in Leigh.

In the last three years 55 pedestrians have been involved in accidents in Westleigh and Hindsford -- including one fatal and 11 serious incidents -- and 15 of those involved pupils going to or from school.

Wigan Council is setting up two new safety zones which it hopes will encourage more pupils and parents to travel to school on foot.

In Westleigh the improvements, which started this week, include new signs, a 20mph school speed zone, and speed cushions around a primary school.

The Hindsford safety zone will include a traffic calming scheme plus new speed cushions and carriageway markings.

It is hoped the projects will be completed by the end of the year.