Two mothers who have helped instill road safety awareness in pupils at a Wantage school have received recognition of their hard work.

Sharon Cooper and Lib Shaw have taught cycling proficiency to children at Charlton County Primary School in Charlton Village Road.

They were among 40 volunteer instructors who received awards from David Young, Oxfordshire County Council's director of environmental services, at St John Ambulance Headquarters in Kidlington.

The instructors offer their services as part of the county's cycle training prog- ramme.

Some instructors have been giving up their time to instructing children for more than 20 years. Mrs Cooper helped coach pupils between 1992 and 2000. In 1997, she was joined in after-school classes by Mrs Shaw.

School spokesman, Pat Cooper, said: "Sharon and Lib have given considerable time in helping the school to run cycling courses.

"They have enabled many children to successfully pass their cycling proficiency tests and become safer cyclists.

She added: "Charlton School would not be able to run these courses if it wasn't for people generously giving their time."

At the presentation ceremony, Mr Young said: "Without the dedicated work of these people and many others, who freely give their time to run the cycle training courses, Oxfordshire would be unable to provide the training free of charge. "And thousands of schoolchildren would not know how to use our busy roads confidently and safely.

"This is just a small way of showing our appreciation, and thanking some of the people involved for their dedication and help in prom- oting children's safety on our roads."

Mrs Shaw, 40, of Palmers, Wantage, who plans to stop instructing when her son, Jody, 11, leaves the school this summer, also taught her eldest son, Mark, 15, and believes she has given training to at least 120 children.

She said: "It's been rewarding.

"When they start they're not confident and many just wobble around.

"We had 100 per cent success in our last test, so it's a good one to go out on."

Mrs Shaw added: "I'll keep in contact and, if they run out of volunteers, I'll be quite happy to go back."