It is a rare sight these days to see, what I would have called a lollipop lady. Leicester City Council still provides this service.
As I took my camera from my bag I was surprised to hear a small child say "Please don't shoot Margaret we love her!"
School Crossing Patrols are provided by Leicester City Council to ensure that pupils cross the road safely.
This is an essential service, contributing to the Every Child Matters agenda by promoting and enabling child safety on the way to and from school in line with the 'Keeping Children Safe' theme.
Most primary schools have one or more patrols who operate shifts of 35 – 45 minutes at the start and end of the school day. A small number of schools also have patrols at lunchtime.
There are 79 established crossing sites at schools across the city and appointments are usually made from people who live in the local area. there is no upper age limit and over 30% of patrollers are over retirement age.
The service is provided at primary schools that meet specific criteria relating to pedestrian numbers and traffic volumes, established by on-site surveys.
