Councillor calling for urgent action over lollipop lady vacancies

9.58.49am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 7th Apr 2006

Lib Dems are calling for more school crossing patrols

A local Liberal Democrat councillor is calling for Sheffield City Council to take action over the high number of vacancies currently being seen in school crossing patrol posts. Cllr Keith Hill, Lib Dem member for Dore and Totley ward, has highlighted the problems the shortage is causing in one of his local schools.

Council figures show that, on average, over one in three school crossing posts remain vacant across Sheffield. The news comes at the same time Sheffield City Council have controversially refused to replace a 'lollipop lady' outside a school in the Meersbrook area of Sheffield.

Dore Primary School currently employs just one crossing patrol individual, despite the fact that there are a total of three required posts at the school. Cllr Hill believes that the council's failure to fill posts is leading to children not receiving all the safety measures they are entitled to.

Liberal Democrats are now calling for the Labour controlled council to launch a recruitment drive in order to fill school crossing patrol vacancies across the city. Lib Dems believe that lollipop ladies are a tried and tested method to reduce child accidents in a way that minimises disruption to traffic.

Councillor Keith Hill, Liberal Democrat member for Dore and Totley, said: -

"Lollipop ladies are essential to ensure that our children are as safe as possible walking to and from school. The news that over one in three school crossing patrol posts remain vacant will come as an unwelcome surprise for many parents across Sheffield"

"Dore Primary school in my ward shows what the news means in practice. Out of the identified three lollipop ladies, only one post is filled. Therefore children in the local area are not receiving the full amount of road safety provision they are entitled to. These situations across Sheffield need to be addressed immediately"

"Along with my Liberal Democrat colleagues across Sheffield, I am calling on the Labour Council to address this problem. The council should launch a recruitment drive to ensure all these vacancies are filled as soon as possible. In my view lollipop ladies are vital to any strategy to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving children"