A POLICE Community Support Officer who spearheaded a national child friendly road safety campaign has vowed to pen a new song for the Lancashire Telegraph seatbelt campaign.

Last year, PCSO Mark Dixon worked with Blackburn-based songwriter JC and animator Brian McNulty, from Texas, to create the successful Buzzy Bee road safety awareness campaign.

They created a cartoon in which a police officer and a character called Buzzy Bee told children about being safe and being seen near roads.

Now, PCSO Dixon, who covers the Longshaw and Highercroft area of Blackburn, is planning to write a new tune for the Love Your Kids? Belt Them In! campaign.

PCSO Dixon said: “It is important for children to be educ-ated about the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt and a song is always a fun way of getting a message across.

“The Buzzy Bee DVD was very popular so I’m hoping that we can create something similar for the seatbelt campaign. ”

The Lancashire Telegraph launched the campaign in conjunction with the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety and Blackburn with Darwen Casualty Reduction Team after a survey revealed more than half of children questioned in the area were not strapped in by their parents.

A number of educational roadshows will take place in schools and community centres to get the belt-up message across.

The Telegraph will also accompany police as officers stage special crackdown days during which they will carry out spot checks on passing vehicles.

In addition, officers from Capita Symonds, who deliver road safety services on behalf of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, will advise drivers on the importance of using appropriate restraints and provide practical demonstrations of how to fit child seats correctly.

Claire Waterhouse, Capita Symonds’ casualty reduction manager, said: “It is hoped by getting the message of how important it is for everyone in the vehicle to use seatbelts or the correct child restraint we can reduce the number of serious injuries incurred if people are involved in a collision.

“People don’t seem to realise the consequences associated with not using a restraint, and the danger they are putting their children in.”