BUCKLE MY SHOE HELPS CHILDREN PUT BEST FOOT FORWARD IN WORLD RECORD BID - JUNE 2008

BUCKLE My Shoe is helping up to 100,000 schoolchildren walk their way into the Guinness Book of World Records.

It has 'paired up' with national road safety charity, Brake, in an ambitious bid to create the world's biggest walking bus.

The UK-wide event aims to teach youngsters life-saving road safety lessons and raise awareness about the number of children killed and injured on foot. Six children are killed or seriously injured while walking every day on UK roads - many on the way to or from school.

A walking bus is a safe, healthy and environmentally-friendly way for children to get to and from school, holding hands in a crocodile of twos, accompanied by adults.

The world record bid will hopefully see more than 100,000 children completing a 500 metre route in a series of events held simultaneously up and down the country at 10am on Wednesday June 11.

The initiative aims to encourage schools to set up their own walking bus, if they do not already have one; teach road safety on an ongoing basis; and raise awareness of the need for local drivers to slow down around schools and homes to make roads safer for children to get out and about on foot.

Through the event, Brake and Buckle My Shoe are calling for Government action to tackle child deaths and injuries on our roads, including compulsory road safety education in schools and ring-fenced funding for 20mph safety zones around every school and residential area.

Buckle My Shoe's sales director Chris Hargreaves said: "Everyone taking part is a credit to their school, as well as to road safety, and we wish them all every success in walking their way into the record books.

"At Buckle My Shoe, we are constantly searching for new ways in which we can support local communities and charities, so what better way to do this than combine the two and help keep children safe on our roads."

Sarah Fatica, general manager at Brake, said: "Far too many children are killed and seriously injured on our roads in tragedies that could be prevented, causing unimaginable pain to families and communities.

"It's crucial that we teach children the importance of walking safely, but we also need to ensure our roads are as safe as possible, to enable children to get out and about without their lives being endangered. "

Any school wishing to take part in the world record bid should contact Brake on 01484 559909.