A COUNCIL survey prompted by a schoolboy's campaigning has proved that drivers do regularly break the speed limit outside a Bradford primary school.

Eleven-year-old Oliver Rhodes submitted a petition to the authority calling for road safety measures to be introduced outside Keelham Primary, near Thornton.

He gathered 348 signatures asking, among other things, that a 20mph speed limit should be introduced outside the school, which is on the corner of Well Heads and Brighouse Road.

The petition will be discussed at a meeting of the Bradford West Area Committee on Wednesday, as part of a report that includes results from a traffic survey that was carried out by Council highways officers outside the school last month. It is also set to be discussed at the Shipley Area Committee next month.

Officers checked the speed of vehicles travelling in both directions on Well Heads, for 24-hour periods on January 26, 27 and 28. The average speed of vehicles travelling towards Brighouse Road was more than 31mph on each day.

The report said that 85 per cent of the 2,153 vehicles clocked on January 26 were travelling at 38.5mph or below. The following day, 85 per cent of 2,198 vehicles were caught doing 38mph or below. On the final day, 85 per cent of 2,303 vehicles did 37.5mph or below.

Traffic travelling towards Thornton averaged 34.3mph on January 26, and 30.6mph on January 28. The average speed on January 27 was 30mph.

The report said that on the first day, 85 per cent of 2,591 vehicles travelling towards Thornton were travelling at 40.4mph or less. On January 27, 85 per cent of 2,761 vehicles were doing 38.7mph or below. The following day, 85 per cent of 2,179 vehicles were travelling at 37.9mph or less.

The Council was unable to say what the highest recorded speeds were.

Oliver said the results of the survey had justified his campaign and action to curb traffic speeds was urgently needed.

"It makes me happy because it means something will be done about it. Now we have actual proof, so they will do something about it," he said.

"They will hopefully put a 20mph speed limit in place and get the police up there to do some action.

"It feels quite good because we have done something and it now actually has a reason to it."

He added: "Since becoming Keelham Primary School's road safety ambassador in September I have campaigned relentlessly for better road safety around school. I would ask that they look closely at the proposals for a 20mph zone and traffic calming measures.

"I am aware that the safety measures were not deemed a priority because there had not been enough serious accidents. This really means we are being told that lives must be sacrificed before something is done.

"This needs to be looked at as a matter of prevention and urgency."