AN?opticians in Petersfield has got an eye firmly on school safety.

Specsavers, based just off The Square, has donated 95 high-visibility jackets to schoolchildren and staff at Petersgate Infant School in Clanfield.

The optician handed over 90 child-sized and five adult-sized jackets to the school to ensure pupils remain visible to drivers during the longer dark nights of winter.

Dan Theckston, assistant store manager at Specsavers Petersfield, paid a visit to the village school south of Petersfield to hand over the jackets to headteacher Julie Cook and gave pupils and teachers the chance to try them on for themselves.

Mrs Cook said: ‘Petersgate prides itself on providing children with opportunities to take part in many off-site visits throughout the year and their safety is always our primary concern.

“These high-visibility jackets are really going to help the children stand out and stay safe and we are really grateful to Specsavers for presenting us with so many jackets, particularly as our school is growing and we have many more children.”

The presentation follows on from Specsavers stores around the UK lending their support to Road Safety Week, an annual initiative established by charity group Brake encouraging schools and communities to take action on road safety.

Specsavers Petersfield store director Jo Cox said: ‘With longer nights over winter, it’s vital that children remain safe and visible while they’re outside. We’re determined to educate more people about road safety, so we were delighted to donate the hi-vis jackets to Petersgate Infant School for children and teachers to wear during school or club activities.”