CHILDREN'S safety is a hot topic at the moment and kids in Ipswich are being taught a number of valuable lessons in self-protection.As children get older they demand more freedom and it is hoped that the advice they are given at the crucial crew road show will stay with them for life and help keep them safe.

CHILDREN'S safety is a hot topic at the moment and kids in Ipswich are being taught a number of valuable lessons in self-protection.

As children get older they demand more freedom and it is hoped that the advice they are given at the crucial crew road show will stay with them for life and help keep them safe.

With the recent events in Soham, which saw two schoolgirls murdered and the attempted accostings in Bramford Road and Donegal Road in Ipswich, the roadshow could not have come at a more suitable time.

However, it is not just stranger danger which children are being warned about. Other topics on the agenda include road safety, what to do in the event of a fire and general crime prevention advice.

Jim Manning community safety officer at Ipswich Borough Council said: "Children experience a wide range of different challenges.

"It's not just about personal safety from strangers. The youngsters also learn about dealing with fires, the dangers of electricity, safety on the railways and much more.

"Over the eight years we have been running this, more than 2,000 children have benefited each year from the roadshow and the feedback we have had from the children and the schools had been very positive."

Nearly 1,250 pupils from 25 primary schools in Ipswich and the surrounding area will benefit from the roadshow at the Suffolk Showground until September 20.