A PUPIL at a York school has been quick off the mark to check up on some "crucial" information.

Ten-year-old Sam Smith, of Poppleton Road Primary School, has been awarded a prize by the North Yorkshire Police "Crucial Crew" after being the first child to respond to the group's website.

The site was launched earlier this month, adding a new dimension to the Crucial Crew initiative.

It features safety tips and advice, and a virtual house where children can navigate their way through assorted dangers to safety.

The project already sees more than 10,000 youngsters aged ten to 11 take on realistic emergency scenarios at Huntington Stadium in March each year.

When launching the site earlier this month officers appealed for children to add their comments to the site.

Sam was the first child to do so, and has been rewarded for his interest with a hat and scarf from York Knights Rugby League Club, which works with the initiative, and free tickets to a Knights game.

Staff at Poppleton Road School were delighted for Sam.

A spokeswoman said: "We are thrilled to bits he has won this prize. Sam is one of the quieter boys at school, he is always there, very reliable.

"Now it is really nice to see him get this recognition for his efforts."

Updated: 10:46 Saturday, March 29, 2003