THINK Bike! was the message when youngsters from Bincombe Valley School were visited by their area’s Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Pupils at the school in Littlemoor near Weymouth watched, listened and learned as PC Christine Gould and PCSOs Debbie Oswald-Watson and Kelly Rothwell spoke to them about the importance of being safe on their bikes and showed them a film about all of the dangers facing cyclists.

They also learned about the ‘stopping distance’ of cars and how to cycle safely, whether they are on their way to and from school or out playing with their friends.

The event was very apt as the school is a keen member of Bike It, the school initiative run by the charity Sustrans which is dedicated to sustainable transport.

The police also took along 50 sets of bicycle lights to give to pupils, funded by Littlemoor Hardware Store and Synergie Housing. The pupils all listened carefully to what the police officers had to say and watched the videos before taking part in a question and answer session, during which one boy said it would be a good idea to have a 5mph speed limit around the school.

PC Gould explained: “The local PACT – Partners and Communities Together – meeting said it was a priority to do this because of concerns about the children riding around with out lights when it gets dark early.

“When we talked to the children they said it was because they had just got their bikes and hadn’t had time to fit the lights, so we decided to find the money to get the lights and then come here for a road safety talk.

“We will also fit the lights and then it is up to the youngsters to take responsibility for them.”

As a follow-on to the talk, the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team will be in the Co-operative car park at Littlemoor this coming Thursday, January 19, to talk to people about road safety and to fit lights to the children’s bikes.”

Year Six teacher Eric Kay said: “Because we are a Bike It school we have a shed with bikes and helmets and like to take the children out in the summer to teach them all about road safety.

“Having the police in to talk about the dangers of cycling is a real boost to the scheme.”

• School factfile: Bincombe Valley School started life 50 years ago as Littlemoor Primary.

At present there are up to 260 pupils in the school, ranging in age from 3-11 years. At its last Ofsted, inspectors said the school was a good school with many outstanding features.

Bincombe Valley is a UNICEF Rights Respecting school, has its Arts Council Gold Artsmark, a Sustrans Bike It school and Healthy School.