Police target school-run in child car safety blitz

PCSO Ben Perry with child safety consultant Damon Marriot checking Angela Dodsworth's car seat

Police in Bolsover carried out a 'car seat action day' today (Thursday, January 28) to improve the safety of children in cars.

The day of action began at 8.30am as pupils started arriving at Bolsover Infant School.

Members of the Bolsover Town Safer Neighbourhood Team worked with the school and a specially trained child safety consultant to advise parents on the law on car seats and show them how to fit them properly.

Local officers and the child safety consultant, Damon Marriot, paid for by Derbyshire County Council, spoke to dozens of parents throughout the day about any concerns they had about child seats.

During the morning school run Mr Marriot checked 27 cars and found just six of them had properly fitted car seats.

Mr Marriot said: "It is not unusual to find 70 to 80 per cent of car seats fitted slightly incorrectly. Having spoken to these parents today and helped them adjust their car seats that number has been greatly reduced and their children's safety improved."

While parents were finding out about car seat safety, the children spent the day learning about the police and fire service as part of a 999 fun day.

The local police officer and PCSO spoke to the pupils about their different roles and how they often work with the other emergency services when called out to different incidents.

Pupils then spent time looking around a fire engine and police riot van and finding out about all the specialist equipment kept in them.

PC Tony Bagshaw, of the Bolsover Town SNT, said: "We arranged to carry out the child safety day because the use of incorrect car seats and children not wearing seatbelts has been one of the team's priorities which we have been tacking over the past few months.

"We ran it alongside the 999 day so there was something fun for the youngsters to do while the parents were given guidance on car seat safety.

"it was a very successful day and we had a lot of positive feedback from parents thanking us for the information."

For more information about your local Safer Neighbourhood team visit the website www.derbyshire.police.uk.