A "chronic" shortage of lollipop men and women is putting children's lives at risk on the way to and from school, road safety officers warn today.
In their heyday, lollipop patrols were a familiar, friendly face for children, whom they helped to cross the road at a designated point outside schools in the morning, lunchtime and afternoon.
But the job has become increasingly unattractive because of poor pay and conditions, and even the increasing threat from aggressive drivers, road safety officers claim. They are calling on local communities and schools to urge more people to come forward as lollipop staff so that children's lives are not put in danger.
The delays in vetting all adults applying to work with children by the criminal records bureau has also been an issue this year, with many prospective lollipop applicants having found alternative work by the time the results of their checks have come through.
The national shortage came to light when Jet, the UK fuel brand, began contacting crossing patrol officers across the country for help with its forthcoming school road safety awards.
Colin Pettener, of the Local Authorities Road Safety Officers Association, said there were currently 28,000 school patrol points in England, Wales and Scotland, but evidence was that vacancies were running as high as 4,000 across the country. Shortages applied equally in rural and built-up areas, he said.
"Who is going to want to stand out in the rain and cold twice a day for less than £5 an hour when there are part-time jobs in supermarkets?" Mr Pettener said. The job is paid an average rate of £4.68 an hour, and with many lunchtime patrols being phased out because more children stay at school for lunch, it often involves just one hour's work a day.
"We get four or five cases every month of drivers failing to stop at the crossing," Mr Pettener added.
Appointment and administration of school patrols was a permissive function for local councils, not a statutory one, he pointed out. In many areas, the situation had been complicated as responsibility had passed from police to highway authorities.
