PRIMARY school pupils in Bolton have given the school run the boot this week in a bid to be fit for the day ahead and learn valuable road safety skills at the same time.

Across the town youngsters are swapping the car and bus for good old-fashioned shoe leather as part of National Walk to School Week.

The Government-backed campaign aims to switch pupils and parents onto the benefits of a brisk jaunt first thing in the morning.

And road safety officers in Bolton, who are encouraging as many children as possible to take part, say the walking option can be good for both body and mind.

Road safety officers Ted Greenhalgh and Janet Pilling joined pupils from Breightmet's St Osmund's RC Primary to promote the walk to school code and found many of them already walk each morning.

Road safety officer Trevor Higson said he wanted to encourage children to try and walk at least part of the way to school this week.

He said: "It has a range of benefits including being good for your health and alleviated parking problems. Government research has found teachers think it is an excellent way for pupils to wake up fully so they are ready for the first lesson of the day.

Benefit

"Another benefit is that parents walking their children to school can use that time to give them valuable road safety instructions."

He added: "We're not saying everyone should walk all the way to school, but in many cases parents could park a few streets away from school and complete the remaining distance on foot."

St Osmund's head-teacher John Thorpe was greeted by pupils carrying placards saying "I'm walking to school to wake up for Mr Thorpe" to promote National Walk to School Week. And Mr Thorpe said he fully agreed with the principles behind the campaign.

He said: "We have 215 pupils and the majority of them live close enough to the school to walk in each day. For some it could be the only exercise they get and they are learning about road safety on the way. When they arrive at school we find they are wide awake and ready to learn."

And the children agreed saying they would not come to school any other way - even with winter on its way.

Pupil Kirsty Young, aged 10, said: "It is helping to save the planet because it cuts down on pollution if more people walk to school.

"It's good exercise and I only live five minutes away so the weather won't be a problem."

And Jake Clitheroe, aged seven, added: "It could help to cut down the number of cars on the road and stop accidents and it helps us learn how to cross roads and be safe. It's good because you get to meet up with your friends on the way and you are wide awake when you reach school, if you came in the car you could still be asleep."