Schoolchildren in Bicester will have a safer walk to school by the end of the month, thanks to two new road crossings.

Work has just started on the second crossing in Southwold Lane, near the Banbury Road roundabout, much to the delight of parents and children at Southwold Primary School, in Holm Square, including Aiden Berry, Josh Wilson, Hannah Egan, Alexander Egan, Rebecca Armstrong and Joby Wilson.

At the moment people crossing from Caversfield village to the housing estate have to use small traffic islands at each end of the busy road.

Colin Carritt, area engineer for Oxfordshire County Council's highways department, said traffic lights would be fitted within days and both crossings should be working by January 26.

Paula Protherough, the school's headteacher, said: "We're very pleased that work has been started and that the council has taken notice of all our requests to improve the road and make it safer for our children and parents."

Parents, teachers and councillors took part in a campaign to have the crossings installed between Caversfield and the Southwold estate.

Some of the pupils carried out a traffic survey and handed it in with a petition to Bicester Town Council.