Number of crossing patrollers falls by 150-a-year with 1,100 gone since 2015
They were once a comforting sight outside every school, guiding children safely across busy roads.
But the number of lollipop ladies – and men – has fallen by 1,100 since 2015, with an average of 150 being lost each year.
One council alone has lost at least 80 ‘crossing patrollers’ – to give them their official title – as local authorities cut costs.
Road safety campaigners have urged councils to keep lollipop patrols, warning that 50 children a day are killed or injured on UK roads. And the Liberal Democrats, who have compiled the new figures, accuse the Government of putting child safety at risk by cutting funding.
Freedom of Information requests submitted to county councils across England show an average of 150 lollipop ladies and men have been axed every year for the past seven years. Of the 78 councils which responded in full to the FoI request, 17 have seen at least 20 leave their posts since 2015. Hampshire County Council has axed a record 84.
Road safety campaigners have urged councils to keep lollipop patrols, warning that 50 children a day are killed or injured on UK roads (stock image)
Other areas where crossing patrollers are laying down their lollipops include Staffordshire, where 63 have been lost, Birmingham, where 56 have been lost and Newcastle upon Tyne, where 55 posts have gone.
Between 2015 and 2021, the national cumulative budget for crossing patrollers has fallen by £1.6 million. The Lib Dems say the Government is putting child safety at risk by forcing councils to cut back on essential services.
Between 2018 and 2020, 1,721 children aged up to 15 were killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents, prompting schools and newspapers across the country to run campaigns to save lollipop patrols from the axe.
Mary Williams, chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said: ‘While all councils are under financial pressure, children’s safety must not be compromised.’
‘Fifty children are killed or injured every day on UK roads. Lollipop people help to ensure children and families can cross roads near their schools safely during busy periods when incidents are most likely to take place – they are a vital community service.
‘To help protect lives, Brake urges local authorities to retain school crossing patrols and implement wider measures, particularly 20mph speed limits and more separated space for cycling and walking, so that children can walk and cycle safely.’
Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan said: ‘These figures are astounding and will leave parents up and down the country with a pit in their stomach.’
‘Lollipop people are more than just a national symbol. They are so vital for our children’s safety as they go to and from school each day.
Other areas where crossing patrollers are laying down their lollipops include Staffordshire, where 63 have been lost, Birmingham, where 56 have been lost and Newcastle upon Tyne, where 55 posts have gone (stock image)
‘To think some pupils will now have to cross roads unattended where a crossing patroller used to help is deeply worrying.’
The Local Government Association said: ‘Many councils have been forced to review this discretionary service due to significant pressures on their budgets and increasing demand for statutory services.’
A Government spokesman said: ‘This year, we have given an additional £3.7 billion to councils to ensure they have the resources they need.
‘Councils are best placed to know what their communities need.’
