December 12, 2012 1.01 pm This story is over 135 months old

Lincoln schoolchildren get free bike lights

Be seen, be safe: Lincolnshire Police is helping schoolchildren in Lincoln to become safer cyclists.
Moorland Assistant Neighbourhood Assistant Rachel Taylor, Lincolnshire Co-op Moorland Avenue Foodstore Duty Manager Sarah Rogers, Lincolnshire Co-op Moorland Avenue Foodstore Manager Danny Austin,  PCSO David Freeman and Moorland County Councillor Kelly Smith. Front row: Abby Wilkins (9), Ryan Hope (8), Lukas Filipivicuius (8), Josh Clarricoates (9) and Courtney Challis-Reeve (8) from The Priory Witham Academy.

Lincolnshire Police is helping schoolchildren in Lincoln to become safer cyclists with a new project.

The “Be Seen, Be Safe” scheme gets delievered by PCSO David Freeman and colleagues in the Moorland area of the city.

So far, the team has visited 230 children from five south Lincoln schools at the end of the school day.

On their visits, the team offers bike safety advice to youths cycling home, and give out free LED lights to children that don’t already have one.

The money for the scheme comes from Freeman applying for funding from community figures and organisations — £1,500 paid for 230 bike lights.

One such funder included Lincolnshire Co-op’s Lincoln South Members’ Group, made up of local people who hold a dividend card, who donated £250.

Other contributors included Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, Moorland Ward County Councillor Kelly Smith, Moorland Ward City Councillors Bob Bushell, Adrianna Ellis, and Geoff Ellis, and Moorland Community Centre.

PCSO Freeman said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to all the organisations that helped us buy these lights, which will make a real contribution to improving bike safety in the area.

“Studies have shown that motorists are far more likely to see a cyclist when they have lights on and we want to get that message across to young people in the Moorland area.”