Dangerous drivers caught speeding near Croydon schools can avoid fines and penalty points by instead speaking to children about road safety. 

The Junior Road Watch programme sees children accompany road traffic police equipped with safety equipment and speed cameras in school areas.

If a driver is caught speeding, they can choose either to accept fine and three penalty points on their licence or talk to the pupils, who ask the drivers "if they realise the consequences of speeding and other questions to highlight the danger," according to the Council.

Councillor Stuart King, cabinet lead for environment and transport, said: “The Junior Road Watch scheme can have real benefits, discouraging motorists from speeding while teaching them and the children important lessons about road safety.

“Working with school children and the police we’re able to make a real difference by explaining the human impact speeding can have on communities.”

Croydon’s first road watch last Wednesday saw Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils from Winterbourne Boys’ Academy in Thornton Heath monitor speeds around Melfort Road, with pupils from Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School repeating the same exercise a day later.

Over two days, 28 drivers were stopped for speeding. All of them chose to speak to the children rather than accept a fine and penalty points.

Kaleem Warren, Year 5, Winterbourne Boys’ Academy, said: “We’re here to tell people about road safety and to help to keep local school children safe.

“If you speed you could knock someone over or crash and then you’re putting two people in danger.”

Shania Falaiye, year four from Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School, said: “We are here to ask questions to the drivers like why they are speeding near our school.

“If you speed you could kill someone.

"If a pedestrian is hit by a car at 20 miles per hour they are about five times more likely to survive than if they’re hit at 30 miles per hour.”

Croydon Council will be talking to schools across the borough over the next academic year to see if they would like to take part in the scheme.

So far five schools have expressed an interest in the scheme. They are: Winterbourne Boys’ Academy, Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School, Oasis Academy Byron and Rockmount Primary School.