More than 2,000 lollipop men and women cut, says union

The number of lollipop men and women has been cut by more than 2,000 in the past decade, according to a Freedom of Information request from the GMB union.

Local authorities were asked how many school-crossing patrol officers they employed in the last financial year compared with 2009-10.

In 2009-10, there were 7,128 employed by councils across England, Scotland and Wales. By 2017-18, that had dropped to 5,047, said the union.

The GMB's national officer, Rehana Azam, said: “Ten years of brutal Tory austerity have left scars right across our society, and now it's got to the point where our kids aren't even safe walking home from school.
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“No parent wants to get the call that their child has been involved in an accident, but that's the risk councils are taking because they are so cash-strapped.

“Austerity is a choice, but councils have been left with no choice but to make savings.

“Our public services need proper funding so they can rebuild from the ruins left by a decade of savage cuts.”

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