CRIME prevention bosses in Ribble Valley have put forward seven areas in the rural borough for the creation of 20mph speed restriction zones.

The Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Prevention Partnership, spearheaded by Ribble Valley Council, has proposed a series of streets and roads near schools for inclusion in the next phase of Lancashire County Council's 20mph Zones Programme.

The council has created 86 20mph zones and many more are being prepared in a bid to clamp down on speeding motorists in residential areas and reduce the number of young pedestrians injured or killed by cars.

Ribble Valley Council policy development officer Bill Alker, said: "We have proposed seven areas for the possible implementation of a 20mph zone, all of which contain a school.

"Speed restriction zones are a cost-effective way to protect our children from the problem of speeding motorists and we are hopeful at least some of these schemes will get the go-ahead."

Government research has revealed that the risk of a child being involved in an accident is reduced by about two-thirds in a 20mph zone.

And a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research revealed that, while Britain has the best road safety record in Europe, it also has the worst record for child pedestrian safety.

The proposed zones are:

Clitheroe: Queen's Road/Brownlow Street; Princess Avenue/Longsight Road; Eastham Street/Ribblesdale Avenue. Longridge: Barnacre Road/Hesketh Road; St Mary's Close. Whalley: Church Lane/The Sands. Read: Tennyson Avenue/Fort Street.