Youngsters are calling on speeding drivers to slow down after a woman pedestrian was killed and a number of accident near-misses close to their school.

Children from St Matthew’s CE Primary School, Bradford, were giving letters to motorists who were stopped for speeding by police in Mayo Avenue yesterday.

School governor Ruksana Rashid has handed a petition of 900 signatures to Bradford Council’s Highways Department, calling for speed cameras and other traffic calming measures to be installed on the busy road. Headteacher Bob Curran said: “We are very concerned for the safety of children crossing the road. There have been a number of near-misses and parents are concerned about the speed of passing traffic.

“It’s likely motorists driving to and from the M606 motorway do not realise this road has a 30mph limit.

“Our school is hidden from the road and motorists are probably not aware that Mayo Avenue is well-used by pupils and their families every weekday.”

Sergeant Sheraz Khan, of the Queensbury, Royds and Wibsey Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Speeding is an issue which the community have highlighted as a concern and which they would like to see addressed as a priority.

“We therefore decided to work alongside the pupils at the school to get the message across. During the times when parents drop off and pick up their children, it can be extremely busy. A few miles per hour can sometimes mean the difference between life and death, which is why we really wanted to hit the message home in this way.

“By encouraging drivers to reduce their speed, we hope it will raise awareness and also minimise the chance of any accidents. Hopefully the children’s efforts will now stick in the minds of drivers and make them think twice when putting their foot to the pedal.”

Girlington woman Zakhra Bi, a 34-year-old pedestrian, died after she was involved in a collision with a car in Mayo Avenue in March.

The mother-of-seven suffered severe head injuries in the collision. Three men, who were aged 34, 30 and 23, remain on bail after they were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.