YOUNGSTERS have been signed up as junior safety officers (JSOs) to help promote road, neighbourhood and personal safety.

Primary school headteachers from across the borough were asked to nominate two children from year six to take up the role.

Working in partnership, Cheshire West and Chester Council's road safety officers and Cheshire Police held a special event in Winsford, where the children were presented with certificates and badges by Ch Insp Simon Meegan and Cllr Karen Shore, deputy mayor at CWAC.

Cllr Shore said: “There has been a huge take up once again this year for the JSO initiative.

"The children take their role very seriously and are excited to have been chosen to represent their school. They are all very keen to get started and will be thinking of ways they can raise awareness of staying safe not just on our roads, but on the internet and in their own homes too.

"The JSOs help us make a difference, so everyone stays safe and feels safe in the area where they live."

The overall aim of the initiative is to communicate messages regarding road safety, community safety and personal safety to all the pupils in each school, who will then, in turn, take home the safety messages to their families.

The JSOs are tasked with highlighting different messages each month as well as organising competitions, setting up notice boards and also of thinking about new ways to promote safety issues to everyone they meet.

This month the JSOs are focusing on Be Bright Be Seen, a scheme pushing the importance of wearing bright clothes throughout autumn and winter, and how to stay safe when enjoying Bonfire Night on November 5.

They will also cover the Green Cross Code and internet safety over the coming year, and will record their work in a handbook which will be used to judge the JSO of the Year award.