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Meet the pupils who grill speeding drivers at Kids Court

A number of schoolchildren, two girls and two boys sitting at a table in a classroom. There are several signs on the table with PSNI symbols which say 'Kids Court'. The uniform is royal blue and yellow.

Have you ever wanted to give adults a telling off for breaking the rules?

These pupils at a primary school in County Tyrone are teaching a lesson to adults who are caught driving too quickly near their school.

Some of these adults are sent to Kids Court, a road safety scheme at schools across Northern Ireland, supported by the police.

There they face questions from children aged 10 and 11

One pupil, Eva, said: "This will help the school, and people who come into the Kids Court will slow down, and it will be more safer for the kids and parents to cross the road."

More about our roads

Eva (left) and Layla (right) are sitting beside each other at a table in a classroom. There is a sign on the table with PSNI symbols which says 'Kids Court'. Their uniforms are royal blue and yellow.

The speed limit in villages, and around schools, is typically 20mph or 30mph.

Usually when an adult is caught driving above the speed limit in Northern Ireland, they have to pay a fine and are given penalty points on their driving licence.

Penalty points stay on a driver's licence for a set period of time and if drivers get too many, it could mean they're stopped from being able to drive at all.

As part of this project, some motorists are being given the option to attend Kids Court instead.

A yellow traffic sign has a red triangle with silouhettes of children in it. Below is a box saying "School 20 when light's show" Getty Images

The speed limit around schools is usually 20mph or 30mph in the UK for pedestrian's safety

School governor Ethna Wiley said that Kids Court is a way to try and "raise awareness of speed and the danger of speeding cars" in the area.

Layla's one of the pupils that grills the adults. She said: "It's very serious knowing some people can end up either in hospital or worse."

Another pupil, Alesha, added: "It's not just about protecting us. It's about protecting students, staff and parents and also we need to stop the speeding because it could also hurt the drivers."

One of the police officers involved in the scheme, Superintendent John Wilson agreed, saying the initiative was about making the roads safer for everyone who uses them - children and adults - whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.

"The pupils are educating drivers who speed outside their school about the potential consequences of speeding and why they must slow down," he added.

A man in grey clothes sits in a classroom facing a table where a number of schoolchildren, one girl and three boys are sitting. There are several signs on the table with PSNI symbols which say 'Kids Court'.

So what do the drivers themselves think of the scheme?

Most of them had an excuse for why they were speeding, but said they had learned their lesson thanks to the students.

One driver said: "I was rushing because I'm doing a renovation and I've got builders that need materials and it was literally for that.

"I'm not an angel by any means but I don't normally speed around."

He said he had learned a valuable lesson adding he'll have "more due care and attention when I'm driving" going forward.

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