CHILDREN were taught the black and white rules of road safety when a zebra took assembly at a Swindon primary school yesterday.

Zak the Zebra, the mascot of road safety charity Brake, visited Robert Le Kyng Primary School and gave each of the 420 children a hi-vis vest, donated by local car dealership Pebley Beach.

Zak was invited to the school by Pebley Beach, on behalf of Brake, to help the children to stay safe on the roads.

The initiative will help children be more visible and safe as they walk to school.

It will also encourage motorists to look after their vehicles, as poorly maintained brakes, tyres, lights and windscreen can cause accidents.

Pebley Beach, the dealer in Suzuki, Hyundai and quality used cars, wanted to work with a local school to demonstrate a commitment to road safety.

Owner Dom Threlfall said: “We wanted to go further to show our commitment to road safety and work with our nearest local school, which is why we’ve also given every child a high visibility vest and invited Zak to visit.”

Brake spokesman Rich Andrew, said: “The money donated by Robert Le Kyng Primary School and Pebley Beach will be crucial in funding our work supporting people bereaved or injured by road crashes, and campaigning for safer roads in communities across the UK.”

Dave Barnett, the assistant head teacher at Robert Le Kyng Primary School, said: “We saw it as a great opportunity to tell our children about our school’s particular issues – the importance of using the lollipop man, being careful when using mobile phones on the road, and not walking through the school car park.”

Next week, on Valentine’s Day, the children will wear their most colourful clothes and high visibility vests for a non-uniform Bright Day For Brake, in return for a donation to the charity.

To find out more about Brake visit www.brake.org.uk.

Pebley Beach, which also service and maintain thousands of vehicles in the Swindon area, can be found at www.pebley.co.uk.