Campaign to save our school lollipop patrols (From Wirral Globe)

Campaign to save our school lollipop patrols

10:10am Wednesday 5th November 2008 in News By Craig Manning

Campaign to save our school lollipop patrols

A LOLLIPOP lady from Wallasey has joined the fight to save 18 school crossing patrols.

As exclusively revealed in the Globe last week, the council plans to cut the roles to save £50,000.

But parents are concerned it could make the school run dangerous for children and lead to an increase in accidents.

Crossing monitors are due to disappear from schools in Bidston, Leasowe, Eastham, Birkenhead, Oxton, Upton, Pensby, Seacombe, Heswall, Claughton and Wallasey.

On Monday, Conservative councillors petitioned parents collecting their children from Liscard Primary School and collected 168 signatures as part of a week-long, Wirral-wide campaign to stop the cuts.

Their petitions were presented during a meeting of Wirral’s full council that night.

Among those signing was Sue Houghton, who has guided children safely across the road outside the school in Withens Lane for the last three-and-a-half years and found out that her job was under threat while she was on holiday.

She told the Globe: “I read in the paper that they were axing 18 crossing patrol jobs. My position was one of those.

“Of paramount concern to me is the children’s safety. If I’m not here, who’s going to see the children across the road?”

Sue, 47, who is also a dinner lady at the school, continued: “If the crossing patrols have to go, that’s 18 lots of children who no one is going to see over the road.

“It’s ludicrous that the council is even thinking about axing 18 positions across the borough. Children’s safety is first and foremost, surely.”

Among those supporting Sue’s role was pub owner Mark Phillips, whose son attends the school.

He said: “It’s important that Sue keeps her job. At the moment, only one of my children is attending, but in two years time another one will.”

Joannne Kettle, a pharmacy shop manager from Wallasey, said: “I think this is an absolutely ludicrous idea. Our child’s safety is at risk every single day and that’s what these lollipop ladies are employed for.

“There are no savings made here. The amount of accidents that will happen now is going to increase with no lollipop lady around.”

Tory councillor Leah Fraser, prospective Conservative MP for Wallasey, said: “There wasn’t a single mum or dad in favour of these cuts. The headteacher is opposed to the plan, the local councillors are opposed to the plan.

“Parents were queuing up to sign and show their support for the lollipop lady at Liscard Primary school and we expect a similar response at schools around Wirral the rest of this week.

“Road safety is a really important issue for parents with young children and school crossing patrols are a great way of encouraging children to walk to school in safety.

“ These cuts must be stopped.”