Sutton
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Lollipop ladies reach crossroads
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| Sticking to the task: Dave Sweetland on patrol outside Cheam Common Junior School |
They are guardians of good manners who have cheerfully endured the British weather, blaring horns and unflattering high-visibilty jackets for 70 years.
Now lollipop ladies and men are being driven from the mean streets by motorists unswerving in their determination to reach destinations on time.
Road rage and abusive behaviour have combined to threaten the venerable traffic institution. In Sutton, the crossing at Barrow Hedges Primary School is already unmanned as staff struggle to encourage the next generation of wardens to shepherd pupils to safety.
Roy Buchanan, the principal road safety officer at Sutton Council, said recruitment is proving difficult.
"School-crossing patrols came out in 1954 when the social atmosphere was a different ball game.
"Now they get about £8 an hour, they do 10 hours a week, and they're earning £80."
"I've had it on more than one occasion where people have said well, why should I work for £80 when I can get £180 off the benefits system for sitting at home'."
Lollipop ladies and men originated in 1937, but were introduced officially in the 1950s under the School Crossing Patrol Act.
Failure to stop for their signs can result in a £1,000 fine, a three-point penalty on driving licenses and possibly disqualification.
Even so, the job has become an exercise in self-preservation: across Britain, two wardens died in the line of duty, another was beaten in Croydon and numerous others have undergone a barrage of verbal abuse.
The RAC even has a term for the intimidation: Lollipop Aggression Psychological Disorder (LAPD).
One local authority has resorted to arming its officers with the latest technology, to trap offending drivers and banish the LAPD blues.
Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire is deploying lollipop signs embedded with £890 video cameras.
Up to now there has been little need for the technology in Sutton, with just three reported cases of "lollipop rage".
Mr Buchanan, who trains warden to tackle confrontation, insisted that abuse or assault is not a problem in the borough, and that the job can be highly rewarding.
"The main advantage is that they get all the school holidays. You get your big six weeks, and two weeks at Christmas and Easter, and it's only two hours a day," he said.
"It also brings people out where they meet people, and it gives them a feeling of contributing to the community."
Dave Sweetland has been a lollipop man outside Cheam Common Junior School for six years.
He said: "I really enjoy the work. It is a community service and you feel you are making a difference to the youngsters and improving safety, whether out in good weather or bad."
Anyone interested in becoming a school-crossing patrol officer should call Roy Buchanan at Sutton Council on 020 8770 6463, or email roy.buchanan@sutton.gov.uk.
10:03am Thursday 8th May 2008
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