MORE than 1,500 four to 11-year-olds in West Somerset should be safer on the roads after a roadshow designed to make them laugh and learn rolled into the district.

Richard Rozel's Road Safety Education Show played at seven different venues this week, with children from schools in Minehead, Williton, Stogursey, Watchet, Old Cleeve, Timberscombe and Porlock benefiting from the experience.

The show, packed with vital road safety messages delivered in a fun way, is based in the north of England.

It made its southernmost visit to date thanks to the efforts of West Somerset-based police community support officers Rachel Cutler and Luisa Skinner.

They scoured the internet after they heard about a couple of near-misses with young children and vehicles in the area.

Working with local schools, the pair managed to draw up a schedule and secured funding to pay for the initiative from the Avon and Somerset Criminal Justice Board and Safer Somerset West, with schools clubbing together to provide transport for smaller schools to attend larger ones hosting the roadshow.

"It has taken a lot of organisation but it was worth the hard work and effort as it was such an amazing event," said Luisa.

Laughing and learning their way to road safety are pupils of Minehead First School with Richard Rozel - from the left, Millie Goodrum, Finlay Hall, Courtney Bennett and Sean Sanders.

Photo: Steve Guscott