Seven more schools are set to be added to Barking and Dagenham's School Streets programme in a bid to make the borough's roads safer and healthier.

Cabinet members agreed the roll-out, to be introduced on a 12 month trial basis, at a meeting on Tuesday, November 16.

A pedestrian and cycle-only zone will be created around each of the participating schools at drop-off and pick-up times.

It was rolled out at five schools in November last year, and Sydney Russell Primary School will join by February next year.

Four other primary schools - Richard Alibon, Parsloes, Hunters Hall and Southwood - will join by March, with Valence and St Joseph's set to join by the summer.

Councillor Margaret Mullane, cabinet member for community safety and enforcement, said: “COP26 has given us all another wake-up call - we need to cut emissions seriously to make our planet liveable for future generations.

“Our School Streets are a way of doing this as they not only make our streets safer for children, but with less traffic around they also help reduce pollution.”