EVERY 17 minutes someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads.

West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion is playing his part in addressing this alarming statistic.

Supporting his wider commitment to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads, the commissioner has launched a £100,000 grant round focused on education initiatives at his online Road Safety Conference.

Having previously run grant rounds that are focused on enforcement and the engineering of roads across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, the commissioner is keen to support organisations deliver projects that aim to improve road users’ skills and knowledge.

Calls to focus resource on education are shared by local communities with 62 per cent of more than 2,500 respondents to the commissioner’s recent road safety survey saying there is not enough education activity on road safety in their area.

Mr Campion said: “Road safety has remained at the heart of my priorities since I was elected in 2016. Sadly, road traffic collisions are the biggest killer in West Mercia. Enough is enough.

“I have supported West Mercia Police and councils to increase the amount of enforcement activity, and also looked at engineering with how road layouts and signage can be improved.

“It’s now time we give a greater focus to education, ensuring that we’re all equipped with skills and knowledge to keep us safe.”

Bids must be submitted through the BlueLight portal by Friday, March 28.

The commissioner also stated that reports of shoplifting has fallen in West Mercia going against the national picture.

The British Retail Consortium recently reported that shoplifting is ‘out of control’ but the commissioner says that West Mercia had bucked the national trend.

Mr Campion said: “Whilst figures are going in the right direction and I am reassured that shoplifting is being taken seriously, I am under no illusion that it is job done.”