THE number of children seriously injured in road accidents in East Lancashire has risen by 53 per cent in just one year.

Today police traffic officers called for parents, police and teachers to work in partnership to increase road safety awareness.

Twenty nine children were seriously injured on roads in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley between April 1 2004 and March 10 2005, compared to 19 children the year before.

The figures also showed that 16 casualties were aged between 12 and 16 - with road crashes being the biggest overall killer of children in this age group.

Sergeant Stuart Isherwood, from the Accrington Road policing unit, said that although the numbers were relatively low, more work needed to be done to promote road safety and combat the increasing number of casualties.

He said: "A serious injury is classed form a broken bone upwards so slight injuries such as whiplash or bruising are not even counted in these figures.

"With there being such an increase we need to raise awareness with our youngsters as any casualty is not good and it seems the message is just not getting through.

"The increase does concern me and children need to be educated on road safety dangers and how to stay safe.

"Community Beat Managers are going into schools to deliver road safety education programmes and we are looking to increase this safety package.

"But we would also ask parents and teachers to discuss safety issues with their children as it is a parental responsibility to make sure children are safe on the roads."

The father of 12-year-old Amy Houston, who was knocked down and killed after running into Newfield Drive, Fishmoor, Blackburn, in November 2003 said he was not surprised at the figures.

Paul Houston, of Russia Street, Accrington, and has joined forces with Brake, a national road safety charity, to help promote a new hotline where dangerous roads can be reported.

He said: "We tell our children not to speak to strangers but the most obvious danger is the roads and drivers out there.

"Unfortunately that is where they are most likely to be killed or seriously injured."

Parents and residents in East Lancashire who fear for their children's safety on roads can take action to tackle child deaths and injuries in the region by calling Brake's, Zak the Zebra Hotline on 0800 068 7780.

The hotline, which was launched this week, can be used to name and shame dangerous roads near schools and residential areas where children on foot or bikes are at risk.

Brake will then compile a dossier of dangerous roads to be presented to Downing Street during Road Safety Week 2005 (November 7-13), and call for steps to be taken to protect children such as introducing 20mph speed limits outside every school.