CAMPAIGNERS calling for a second bridge over the River Weaver at Winnington have won a major boost from schoolchildren.

More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition launched by Barnton Parish Council aimed at securing a debate over the issue at Cheshire West and Chester Council.

A total of 3,300 names are needed to enable the debate to take place, and the e-petition on the Cheshire West website runs until September.

The campaign for a second bridge has been prompted to ease pressure on the single lane Winnington swing bridge and to cater for new houses at Winnington Urban Village.

Barnton Community Primary School is supporting the campaign, and pupils collected more than 300 signatures for the petition in Northwich town centre this morning.

The names were collected by 12 year six pupils, and will be added to the paper petition being run alongside the online petition.

Year six children created flyers to hand out to shoppers in the town centre to promote the petition and bridge campaign, stating how children are late for school and people are late for work because of queueing at the swing bridge.

Teacher Alison Lawson was delighted with the response from the public to the pupils’ petition initiative.

“People were very interested in what we were doing, and we had a brilliant response,” said year six teacher Alison Lawson.

“We asked the children to design leaflets about what it would mean for them to have a new bridge, and collecting the signatures for the petition is a way we could do something for the community.

“It is very important that we have a new bridge to help our village prosper, and a lot of people weren’t aware of the petition.”

Mrs Lawson thanked the Seafarer restaurant for providing a free fish and chips lunch for staff and pupils.

Barnton Parish Council chairman Dilys Hooper urged people to sign the online or paper petitions.

“It’s overwhelming how many people are willing to sign the petition, and it’s now or never if we are to get a second bridge,” she said.

“When the new estate is finished we are going to have problems for anyone works Warrington, Runcorn or Liverpool way – it’s going to be a nightmare.

“We also need to make sure that shoppers who want to come into Northwich can get into town without any hassle.”

Petitions are available at Barnton businesses including Willows garage, Barnton Library, Coopers Family Hair Centre, The Paper Shop, Grooms laundry services and Steve’s Hair Centre, Little Angels Day Nursery, The Works Gym and Londis in Winnington, and the laundrette at Weaverham shopping precinct.

If anyone wants petition forms they can contact Cllr Hooper on 07849 344940.