A DEMONSTRATION by Chard School pupils to encourage motorists to drop their speed was dramatically cut short today after the school’s head teacher claimed he was threatened with arrest.

Some 95 children took to the streets in a bid to highlight their long-running campaign for a 20mph limit and warning signs outside the school, which was also undergoing an OFSTED inspection at the time.

They planned to walk continuously back and forth across a pedestrian crossing outside the Essex House Surgery, in Fore Street, for up to half an hour.

But the protest lasted just ten minutes after a police community support officer allegedly told John Stotesbury he risked being taken into custody for obstructing traffic – a claim Avon and Somerset Police have denied.

Mr Stotesbury told the News he was glad to have “ruffled some feathers".

He said: “It was chaos for a moment but that’s when we knew we were getting our message across.

“I think it has made a lot of people stand up and take notice.

“It was a well organised operation and the children were never in any danger – in fact they loved it.”

The protest formed part of a Guinness World Record attempt by road safety organisation BRAKE to get more than 119,697 children around the country tramping across roads in a ‘giant walking bus’.

Mr Stotesbury said: “That fact that it’s brought publicity to our cause has made it all worth it.

“We’re not asking for the earth and I hope the town council will now revisit the issue.”

Neighbourhood sergeant Andy Lloyd said: “At no point did anybody suggest Mr Stotesbury would be arrested.

“It’s an offence to cause unnecessary obstruction of the highways and the police are under obligation to prevent that from happening.

“Although we were aware that a small demonstration was taking place, a point would have been reached where road users would have been inconvenienced by the activity.

“We live in a country that allows people to legitimately demonstrate but it has to be balanced with public safety.”