WORK is being carried out between two Wolverley schools to encourage parents to ditch the car so pupils can travel by foot or bike instead.

Worcestershire County Council is working to improve pedestrian links to both Wolverley High and Wolverley Sebright First schools.

The £75,000 scheme, which is expected to be completed by the end of April, comprises an uncontrolled crossing point with dropped kerbs and special textured paving at the school crossing point on Franche Road.

New school warning signs with flashing units are being installed, together with an uncontrolled crossing point on the island at the roundabout. A short section of footway will also be built at the pedestrian entrance to Wolverley High School and the footpath widened on Blakeshall Lane by the traffic lights.

The project arose out of the county council's Safer Routes to School initiative, with pupils surveyed on their travel patterns. They were also asked about any hazards they encountered on their way to school and what it would take to persuade them to switch to walking and cycling instead.

Peter Mountford, headteacher of Wolverley Sebright First School, which is set to become a primary school next September, said the scheme would help encourage older children to walk and cycle to school.

He explained: "I think the great thing about this is that the children have been involved in the scheme from the outset..

"There were concerns about the speed of the traffic and the fact that the crossings were not well marked but, hopefully, the measures being carried out will help to tackle these problems."

County council senior project manager, Kate Passant, said she hoped the new measures, including the widening of the footway, would help encourage more people to walk to school.