Primary school pupils have teamed up with a housing developer to design a safety sign to keep people safe around the railways.

The sign has been installed along the footpath adjacent to the Taylor Wimpey North West Clover Meadows development to warn people to stay safe near the tracks.

The initiative asked pupils at Barrow URC Primary School to get their creative thinking caps on and design a sign that would bring awareness to the railway line to ensure that pedestrians cross it safely. 

The deserved winner was Charlie, aged nine, who received a £50 book voucher and got to see his drawing brought to life at Clover Meadows.

Lancashire Telegraph: Charlie's sign has been installed along the footpath adjacent to Taylor Wimpey North West Clover Meadows development Charlie's sign has been installed along the footpath adjacent to Taylor Wimpey North West Clover Meadows development

His impressive drawing highlights the dangers of not following proper railway safety and encourages people to stay safe near the tracks.

The railway safety sign comes at a time when recent reports show that pedestrian incidents at level crossings have increased by seven per cent in the past five years with the peak incident months being between April and October.

Most pedestrian incidents are also reported to be during 8am and 7pm with the peak occurring at around 3pm – when children finish school - so it’s vital everybody takes care to follow railway safety guidelines.

Commenting on the children’s participation in the competition, Nicola McArdle, Headteacher at Barrow URC Primary School, said: “The staff and pupils at our school take great pride in being a part of the vibrant local community in Barrow.

“We were all delighted to be chosen to enter Taylor Wimpey’s competition and have the opportunity to raise awareness of railway safety.

“We have a large number of creative students who worked incredibly hard on their entries and we’re very proud of everyone who participated in the competition!”

Taylor Wimpey, a housing company committed to delivering new homes within communities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, partnered with the Barrow school to promote railway safety in the area.

Jennifer Burns, Sales and Marketing Director at Taylor Wimpey North West, said: “We love giving local children the chance to be part of our developments and we were pleased to see Barrow URC Primary School’s pupils getting involved with our railway safety sign design competition.

“All the entries were fantastic and we saw lots of really inspiring designs. Picking a winner was by no means easy but, in the end, we decided that Charlie’s design made the perfect sign. Well done to everyone and keep up the creativity!”