Pupils whose school is based on a busy Bacup road have taken their campaign to help reduce speed to County Hall.

Northern Primary School is based on the A671 – Burnley Road on a very steep hill where the speed limit is 30mph.

Pupils have now presented their 157 letters to County Councillor Jackie Oakes and Rossendale Councillor Andy Macnae, who is also a parent.

They complained of how the speed of traffic outside school can be disruptive to lessons while others said they had had bags ‘clipped’ by vehicles as they passed them while they were walking on the narrow pavement.

Year 6 pupils also joined local police while they were manning a traffic camera on the road in the nearby village of Weir.

School Council members Sam, Jack, Ben and Miley all said that the speed outside school needed to be reduced.

Miley said: “It is 30mph and we want to make it 20mph. If you have to brake at 30mph it will take 23m to stop but if you are only going at 20mph, then it would be 12m.”

On the westerly side of Burnley Road, the footpath is very narrow and Sam talked about how a lorry clipped both his mother’s bag and his bag while they were walking to school.

Ben said: “We went up to Weir with three police officers to check on how fast people were going. They mostly slowed down when they saw the policemen with the speed gun, but once we had finished and we were walking back down to school, we noticed that the cars and lorries sped up.”

Jack said he didn’t like using the pavement because it was so narrow adding: “On the main road they speed can be crazy, especially at night.”

The pupils have produced posters and had them made into large banners outside school to warn people not to stop on the school zigzag lines.

Although there are 20mph signs with lights that flash at school start and finish times, Deputy Headteacher Sandra Melvin said they were partially obscured by trees and were not being observed.

The councillors gave pupils ‘Slow Down Save Lives’ stickers to place on their bins and a large highways’ display banner for outside of school.

The school’s next task will be to speak to parents about slowing down when they pass the school.

County Councillor Oakes said: “I am very aware of the problems on that road and it is something that is brought to my attention on a regular basis at surgeries.

“I would like to commend the pupils and the school for the effort they have put into this campaign and just hope that it is heeded by motorists and lorry drivers using that road.

“I will make sure County Hall is aware of the school’s request.”