PUPILS are to be offered a cash incentive to get fit and reduce congestion by getting on their bikes and cycling to school.

Education bosses have decided to revive a scheme first launched during World War Two which paid children a penny a mile for using pedal power to get to and from lessons.

Teachers and road safety experts have already expressed concern but the children who already ride their bikes to school say the idea is great -- and they are old enough to be safe on the roads.

Since 1944, Lancashire County Council has awarded youngsters who ride more than three miles to school with one penny for every mile ridden.

Over the years, and against inflation, the scheme has become increasingly unpopular with the county's cycling children, and currently no-one takes part in the scheme.

Now Lancashire's county councillor in charge of education and young people, Coun Alan Whittaker of Chorley, has instructed officers to revive the scheme -- possibly with a larger cash incentive or a tie-in with a popular big brand name, such as a record store.

Coun Whittaker said: "We do need to get our youngsters to become more active and riding to school is a great way for them to do this.

"But the current system is silly. No-one is honestly going to claim such a small amount of money.

"I can't see any parent really sitting their little Jimmy down and saying 'ride to school all week and you will get 30p.' The principle of the scheme is good, though and that is why we are reviewing it. We have every intention of bringing it back to life.

"We need to establish whether a higher amount of money is a good option or whether we should tie up with a big brand which will give the youngsters the incentive to ride their bikes.

"It should help reduce congestion. Too many youngsters are chauffeured to school. We all used to ride bikes." County hall chiefs have pledged to consider safety but headteachers around Lancashire gave the proposal the thumbs down -- unless action is taken to make roads safer.

Maurice Graham, head at Bowland High School, Grindleton, said: "We do have a lot of pupils who travel a good distance to school but we don't encourage them to ride to school.

"At school starting and leaving time, we have 12 coaches outside waiting to take pupils home.

"The roads are windy. It simply isn't safe for them to travel by bike. A lot would have to change on the roads before we would work with this project."

Alasdair Coates, headteacher of St Christopher's High School in Queens Road West, Accrington, said: "After consulting our parents several years ago, we decided not to allow pupils to ride to school. In the nine years I have been here, I have had only one request for someone to ride their bike to school and the answer was no.

"Queens Road West is a very busy road and is also the road used by many people going to Moorhead High School.

"It is also a short-cut from the motorway to industrial estates. The police showed the average speed along there was 44mph, it should be 30mph.

"Even with cycle lanes along there, it would dangerous. Other roads like Dill Hall Lane are very steep and dangerous enough in a car, let alone a bike."

Andrew Bateman, head at the neighbouring Moorhead High School, said: "Few pupils ride to school these days though we are creating cycle parks in our new school building.

"The roads around here aren't very safe and I think that has to be a priority. The roads aren't safe."

Bob Hardwick, headteacher at St Michael's CE High School, Astley Road, Chorley, said: "Very few of our pupils ride to school.

"We did install bike sheds five or six years ago but the pupils don't tend to use them.

"At the instigation of staff and governors, all pupils who ride to school must wear a helmet.

"I would have concerns about large numbers of youngsters riding to school along some of the main roads in this area.

"They aren't very well protected on cycle lanes and it only takes one mistake for an accident to happen. The roads need improving before schemes like this are promoted."

Steve Campbell, spokesman for Habergham High School Burnley, said: "Only about half a dozen youngsters ride to school, and none of them come from any great distance. The roads are too busy."

The few pupils who do ride to school are keen to see the scheme improved.

St Michael's pupil George Hurst, 12, from Chorley, said: "I ride to school every day and I think there should be some proper reward for people who use green transport rather than go by car.

"I feel safe on the roads because I am careful. Things like CDs would be a good way of getting more people on the roads."

Joshua Rivers, 12, also from Chorley, said: "There is no point claiming 1p but other things would be nice.

"More people should ride their bikes."

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "Safety measures do need to be in place before lots of youngsters start riding to school again.

"Lancashire does have a good record for road safety and do have innovative ideas.

"This is the first time we have heard of a scheme like this."