Pupils from Mid Craigie and Sidlawview primary schools were among an estimated 14,000 pupils across the UK who were holding hands in pairs and walking in line under adult supervision.

A walking bus is a safe way for children to get to and from school and today’s attempt was organised by Asda stores across the country in conjunction with the charity Brake, which cares for families bereaved in road crashes and promotes road safety and safe driving.

The event was to raise awareness of child pedestrian road safety, call on local drivers to drive carefully around schools and raise valuable funds for Brake.

Every pupil at Sidlawview — 190 in total — took part in the event, walking around the school perimeter under teacher supervision.

Mrs Denise McCaffery, headteacher, said, “I think it’s a wonderful idea.

“Anything that promotes health and gives pupils some exercise should be encouraged.”

Meanwhile, 32 children from Mid Craigie were accompanied by teachers as they walked hand in hand around their school.

Headmaster John Don said, “About 200 children are killed on the roads every year, nearly one a day.

“This event is about our children helping raise awareness and funds for an important cause.

“The event highlights the importance of walking safely and drivers driving safely when children might be about.”

Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake, said, “This is a fun way of raising funds for a great cause and raising awareness of the importance of all drivers taking care and slowing down around schools.

“Many schools have suffered a child being hurt or killed on roads and this annual event helps raise awareness of this carnage and the urgent need for better standards of road safety to prevent it happening in the future.

“We are grateful for all the schools who are taking part to make this event a nationwide, awareness-raising event.”

The UK has one of the worst rates of child pedestrian deaths in Western Europe with road crashes being the biggest accidental killer of school-aged children.