Parents call police amid traffic fears outside Hartshill school
POLICE have been called in to a primary school over fears for road safety.
Concerned parents contacted officers after hearing that the lollipop patrol men and women face losing their jobs.
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CONCERN: Police have been called in to investigate fears about traffic dangers outside Harpfield School.
Madelaine Jones has three children at Harpfield Primary School in Palmers Green, Hartshill.
The 38-year-old, from Hartshill, believes the loss of patrols will lead to accidents.
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She said: "I was upset and appalled when I read that school crossing patrol warden posts were under review. It is just a matter of time before a child is killed on the roads."
Madelaine drops off her three children Elena, aged 10, Joshua aged eight, and six-year-old Myles six at the school everyday.
But the Keele University social work student became angry last month when a driver almost knocked down her eldest son.
She become so concerned with the behaviour of motorists that she requested a visit from her local PCSO to observe the traffic behaviour.
She said: "I contacted the police because a driver had attempted to reverse into a group of children crossing with the school crossing patrol warden.
"It was only when I hit his car window, to draw his attention to the fact that he was about to run over my child, that he stopped.
"If drivers can behave in this manner when a school crossing patrol warden is present, I cannot imagine how chaotic and dangerous it will be outside the school if the warden is removed."
Headteacher Jill Robertson has welcomed police involvement.
She said: "We don't want the safety of our children to be compromised, but some motorists insist on parking over the crossing or blocking the entrance to the school and it leads to all sorts of problems.
"We are running a campaign with the children at the moment to raise awareness about safety, but in some cases it is the adults that need educating."
Rachel Middleton, aged 27, a full-time mum from Basford, walks her three-year-old daughter Ashleigh Davenhill to nursery at the school.
She said: "A couple of times, people have not stopped at the crossing and nearly hit a parent walking their child.
"They just don't have any patience in the mornings and it is becoming very dangerous."
A police spokesman said: "The police will continue working closely with the school to get a 'cone head' initiative off the ground to improve the area.
"Our local police officers patrol the area outside the school on a regular basis and encourage parents to park safely at all times."
The cone head initiative encourages parents and teachers to cone off outside the school to raise awareness of wayward parking.
Lollipop patroller Brian Birkhill, aged 65, from Basford Park Road, helps children to cross directly outside the school.
The former Royal Mail worker said: "These crossings are very busy and sometimes a parent can be half way across and the cars won't stop."
2 Comments
by Backdoored
Monday, January 28 2013, 4:26PM
“When the priorities are being made by self-interested officials -be they Councillors or be they 'professional' advisors, it is the big 'expenses' claim forms -and/or the massive salary scales, involved, which will determine where the cuts apply.
'NOT IN THEIR BACKYARD' -or, BANK ACCOUNT..... but in ours.”
by james208
Monday, January 28 2013, 1:15PM
“Most people would always put the safety of women and children first but clearly the councillors elected by the people of stoke feebly vote to implement what the paid council employees tell them to do. Its very much like a puppet show with the puppet master and his minions pulling all the strings and controlling his puppets. Councillor Andy Lilly is an exception because he refused to be manipulated and resigned from the labour party over cutting the pay of employees.He is no longer a puppet.”