BY LIBBY HYMAS

Now winter has settled like a cold breath of air, the clocks have changed - supposedly to make our mornings brighter, but, for better or for worse?

The time has come for condensation on windows, fires in hearths and hot water bottles in bed.

Nowadays, children are walking home from school in the near dark. We must ask ourselves, are they safe?

When the moon comes out, so do those in our community you’d rather avoid.

Children can be walking home or on the bus for more than an hour by themselves and there are ever-present dangers of others taking advantage of the situation.

Buses aren’t the most pleasant of places at the best of times, let alone at night, by yourself.

Children who live in the countryside are getting home to a pitch-black street with very few or no streetlamps.

In a perfect world, kids could be out at one o’clock in the morning and still feel safe. But, unfortunately, this is reality.

School hours could be changed but it’s too much of a bother, cutting education off half-way. Possibly, extra street-lamps should be installed or private school buses instead of public ones, leading to more convenient stops.

Despite the obvious need, would the government be willing to pay the fees for these precautions? I doubt it.

Either way, changes should be made. Danger increase is not good- we have enough anyway.