Youngsters have taken part in a poster campaign to help prevent anyone trespassing around the project's building site.

Schoolchildren in Jarrow and North Tyneside were invited to design a poster that would deter other youngsters from playing around the area during construction of the new 2.6km tunnel link from Jarrow to East Howdon.

Representatives of TT2, the concessionaire appointed to deliver the New Tyne Crossing, visited local primary schools to talk about the risks for children and other unauthorised people on the building site.

Trevor Jackson, TT2's managing director, said: "Site safety is of paramount importance to us.

"While we ensure the construction site is as safe as possible while work is taking place, it's important that people understand there are very real risks within a site like this, so that they're not tempted to try and find a way on.

"This is why we launched a safety campaign specifically aimed towards children.

"They can often be the most curious about what's happening on the other side of a building site fence.

He added: "We need to make sure no uninvited guests come on to our site at any time."

The poster safety campaign was launched during the six-week school summer holiday, to allow the youngsters involved to come up with some pointed creative messages.

Posters produced by pupils from St Bede's RC Primary School, in Harold Street, and Jarrow Cross Primary in Borough Road, both Jarrow, have now been made into official construction site notices by Bouygues Travaux Publics, the tunnel scheme's design and build contractor.

The new link is due to be completed in December 2010, when the existing tunnel will close for about a year for refurbishment. Both are due to be fully operational by 2011.