Families back lollipop man suspended for saying girl ‘scrubs up well’
LOLLIPOP man Colin Thompson takes pride in his chatty manner as he ushers youngsters safely to school each day.
He hands out free lollipops on Fridays and gives the children a friendly high-five.
But a compliment to a mother about how attractive her 11-year-old daughter was led to him being instantly suspended and put under investigation by the council – much to the fury of hundreds of local people.
Mr Thompson, 70, said to the mother: ‘Don’t she scrub up well out of uniform. Someday she’s going to break some boys’ hearts. If I were 60 years younger I’d take her out myself.’
He said the woman, whom he sees daily, ‘ just smiled and walked off’. But another mother reported him for making an ‘ inappropriate’ remark. Mr Thompson, who has five daughters and nine grandchildren, insists he was just being his usual friendly self and complimenting the girl’s appearance.
He fears he has been branded a pervert for what he regards as an innocent comment.
Most parents have stood by the lollipop man, who has patrolled the crossing by Burlington Junior School in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, for four years.
After hearing about the suspension last week, mother- ofthree Mary Green, 46, launched a petition to bring him back and has already collected more than 450 signatures.
Mr Thompson, a retired joiner, said he is waiting to be interviewed by an ‘independent investigator’ and faces a formal hearing, but has not been given a date for this. He said the council tried to gag him by telling him ‘not to say anything’ until after the hearing. He added: ‘I think it’s a misunderstanding … She’s got the wrong end of the stick. I didn’t say anything wrong.
‘I was being complimentary … I chat to all the kids – I have done for four years. I often say, “you look smart” or “you look nice”, anything that comes to mind. I never say anything detrimental.’
Mr Thompson said he was ‘gutted’ when told of the complaint and his suspension in a phone call. ‘I thought, “whatever have I
‘The children love him’
done wrong?” I just want to get back to work,’ he added.
Mrs Green described the complaint as ‘ridiculous’ as it was made by another parent and not the mother or schoolgirl Mr Thompson was talking to.
She said: ‘Freedom of speech has been taken away … you can’t compliment anyone now. I want him back where he belongs. The kids love him. I’ve known Colin all my life and most of us know him one way or another as parents. Some kids don’t like school, but he gives them a high-five and it makes them smile.’
An East Riding of Yorkshire Council spokesman said: ‘It is not council policy to comment on an individual member of staff and crossing patrols at the school are continuing.’
Mayor Liam Dealtry yesterday said the issue was badly handled, adding: ‘All the parents say he has done fantastic work. He is always friendly and goes the extra mile to make sure the kids get across the road safely. It would be a real shame if he lost his job over an off-the-cuff remark.’
Showing support on Facebook, Michelle Purvis said the case was ‘political correctness gone mad’. Alexandra Cockerill added: ‘I can’t think of anyone less inappropriate … Shame on the ridiculous anonymous parent.’
Joanne Jeffery wrote: ‘This is stupid! How some people take things out of context!’