Hotfooting it to school

Youngsters at a Shropshire school have been walking to school as part of a new congestion-reducing scheme.

Organisers of the walk to school initiative at St Andrew's School, Shifnal, say people can tell when the scheme is operating because the area becomes a "ghost town" as school-run traffic disappears, leaving the streets virtually empty.

Designed to cut the risk of accidents and reduce the amount of rush-hour traffic in town, the scheme started during the summer and has proved a big success.

But the little walkers are most interested in the rewards on offer for taking part.

Every time they complete the trek to school they get stickers, which can be exchanged for treats. The scheme currently operates on the last Friday of every month.

Denise Bowles, whose nine-year-old son Laith attends the school, said the scheme was proving popular.

"It has been a success and started because the traffic was getting quite bad and we wanted to reduce the risk of accidents for the children," she said. "It's made Shifnal into a ghost town when we've done it and there was hardly any traffic."

But she said the scheme she helps run for pupils at the school is in need of more adult volunteers. Anyone who can spare a couple of hours one day each week to help is asked to call the school on (01952) 460226.