Cuts to lollipop patrols spark school safety fears

CHILDREN’s safety is being put at risk because of savage cuts to road crossing patrols, it has been claimed.

New figures show the number of lollipop men and women around Scotland’s schools has slumped by 121 in the past two years.

Critics say SNP cuts have left councils with little option but to scale back vital local services.

Figures from 29 of Scotland’s 32 councils show the number of lollipop men and women declined by 6.9 per cent over two years, from 1,745 in 2019 to 1,624 in 2021.

It has left some schools unable to offer any help to children crossing busy roads on the way to the classroom.

Scottish Conservative local government spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘This is the consequence of councils being forced to make these SNP cuts to their services. For parents and schools across Scotland, there are concerns about the impact of the loss of these lollipop people and the safety service they provide for children.’

The figures were released as MSPs prepare to debate a motion warning the SNP/ Green Budget will ‘hammer’ councils and lead to more cuts to local services.

School crossing patrols are a non-statutory service and first appeared in London nearly 70 years ago. Moray Council was the first in Scotland to scrap them entirely in the summer of 2019 to save £120,000 a year.

A spokesman for council umbrella group Cosla said: ‘There is no doubt there are constraints by tight budget settlements from the Scottish Government.’

The Scottish Government insisted it was ‘treating councils fairly’, adding ‘it is the responsibility of individual councils to manage their own budgets’.