Police today launched a crackdown on motorists who fail to ensure their youngsters are buckled up.

Polegate traffic police officers will keep watch outside more than 100 schools across Eastbourne, Seaford, Lewes and Wealden as part of Operation Buckle.

It is hoped that by the end of the summer 120 checks will have been carried out, meaning each school would be visited twice.

This morning officers mounted a watch outside Grovelands Primary School, Hailsham.

Members of East Sussex County Council's road safety team were also on hand to advise on child safety seat fitting.

One mother was cautioned but police said the objective was not to issue tickets but to raise awareness.

PC Steve Lee said: "If we go away today without having booked anyone then I would see that as a result.

"We don't want to issue tickets. All we want is to make people aware of the dangers of not wearing seatbelts."

He said drivers were responsible for ensuring all people under 14 were belted up.

The campaign is part of a national effort to reduce child casualties on the country's roads by 50 per cent by 2010.