Pupils fight to keep their lollipop patrols
PUPILS are campaigning to keep the two lollipop patrols at their school – just months after winning a battle to save them.
Youngsters at Milton Primary School last year managed to persuade Stoke-on-Trent City Council to retain the two wardens patrolling outside the Leek Road school.
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FIGHT: Pupils Xara Gribble and Jack Barber with crossing wardens Fred Perry and Jayne Barber.
But the two wardens serving the school are now under threat again.
Pensioner Fred Perry is most likely to lose his job at Bagnall Road because the stretch does not meet the national criteria for a crossing.
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And Jayne Barber is set to be axed because she patrols on a pelican crossing in Leek Road.
Education officials want to remove 43 lollipop men and women to save £101,000-a-year.
Now youngsters at Milton Primary have handed out questionnaires and leaflets to parents to encourage them to join the fight.
Headteacher June Meredith said: "In September, our crossing patrols were under threat and the children worked really hard to persuade the council to get them re-instated. The council granted us a temporary crossing but we were told it wouldn't be permanent."
School council chairman Jack Barber, aged 11, of Norbury Avenue, Milton, said: "We are very determined to keep fighting this campaign.
"I want to keep the crossing patrols because the roads are not safe without them."
The 11-strong school council has been in touch with councillors and police community support officers to air their concerns.
Ben Salt, aged 10, of Baddeley Green, said: "We are very worried that if we no longer have our two crossing patrol wardens then children might get hurt if they tried to cross the road."
Xara Gribble, aged nine, of Milton, said: "Road safety officers have attended school council meetings about road safety and have listened to our concerns.
"We are a healthy school and encourage everyone to either walk or use their scooters or bikes to school. And parents feel safe to allow their children to do this because we have crossing patrol wardens to help children cross the busy roads."
The council will rule on the fate of the lollipop men and women at a meeting in February.
Mr Perry, aged 75, of Adam Street, Milton, who has patrolled in Bagnall Road for 10 years, said: "It is great that the children are campaigning and I am glad that the school is being so supportive."
Leek Road lollipop lady Mrs Barber, aged 43, of Norbury Avenue, Milton, said: "The council is trying to get rid of us."
The council wants individual schools to employ the 43 under-threat wardens themselves.
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