WIRRAL pupils are hoping to reduce traffic around their school with a special community garden.

Children at St Andrew's C of E Primary School in Bebington have created the project on a traffic island near to the school entrance in a bid to discourage cars from parking there.

Working with Wirral Council's School Travel Plan, the youngsters helped tidy up the area and put plants and flowers on the verges of the island.

The garden, which is at the junction of Townfield Lane, Oaklands Drive and Richmond Road, is also clearly marked to drivers.

Cllr Harry Smith, cabinet member for streetscene and transport services, joined pupils shortly before the end of term to officially open the garden.

He said: “What the youngsters have contributed to this project is brilliant. A key element of school travel plans is that pupils feel comfortable and safe travelling to and from school.

"By helping to make these environmental improvements the pupils themselves are sending out the message that they would feel safer if people didn’t park so close to their school.”

Viv Woods, headteacher at St. Andrew’s,said: “This used to be a place where cars were parked on the kerb-side making muddy tracks around the edges, now it’s an attractive feature of the neighbourhood. Local residents are delighted with the improvement and have promised to care for the plants in the holidays.”