A CAST of colourful characters has emerged in a competition to find a new road safety mascot for the KM Walking Bus Project.

Primary schools in the Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable were invited submit their ideas as part of the county's first ever animation festival called Canterbury Anifest 2007.

Animator Dan Richards has been holding workshops in schools across the district to help encourage children to come up with ideas for a character who will feature in a new cartoon strip on the Walking Bus website promoting road safety.

Now a panel of judges have chosen the 10 best entries from each of the six year groups including four runners-up.

The pupils in the final running are from Wickhambreaux, St Stephen's Infants, Canterbury, St Mary's Catholic at Whitstable, which has three entries and Herne Bay juniors. Entries from St Mary's also feature twice in the runners-up along with Herne Bay juniors and Blean primary school.

All the entries will now be posted on the Walking Bus, website www.kentwalkingbus.org and visitors have until October 5 to vote on-line for their favourite.

The overall winner will be announced at Canterbury Anifest '07 on Saturday, November 3 at the Gulbenkian Theatre.

The winning pupil see their character chosen for the website and have it turned into a plasticine sculpture by special effects model-maker, Steve Allen.

Each winning year group will also receive an animation kit with runners up making it to the final receiving a Build-a-Bear voucher.