ELEPHANTS will remind children in Great Lever to "Stop, Look and Listen" before crossing the road.

The animals are emblazoned on 32 thermo-plastic mats which are being piloted in Green Lane, Crescent Road and Bradford Road.

The £10,000 markings will help pupils of SS Simon and Jude CE Primary School and St Michael's CE Primary School to cross the road safely.

They have been funded by the Department for Transport through Bolton Council's Neighbourhood Road Safety Initiative.

Each mat measures 100cms by 60cms and has a guaranteed life of at least three years.

Bolton Council leader, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: "Elephants are a well-known Bolton landmark and we hope that the markings will be popular with children and encourage them to act responsibly when crossing roads.

"This is just one of the ways we are interacting with youngsters to improve their road safety and pedestrian skills."

Alison Morris, headteacher at SS Simon and Jude, said: "These mats are brightly coloured and simple to understand.

"They will remind our children to think carefully about their safety particularly at the start and end of the school day."

The council has already installed 20 of the mats, with the remainder set to follow shortly.

The symbol of the elephant was adopted as part of Bolton's coat of arms and crest in 1799 and was also stamped on the town's cloth by early weavers to denote that it was strong and of good quality.

Three new elephant sculptures were erected in Newport Street at the weekend at a cost of £30,000.