Parents celebrate as lollipop lady reinstated outside school gates

Jun 16 2011 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

PARENTS were this week celebrating after an axed lollipop lady was reinstated outside a primary school.

South Lanarkshire Council’s u-turn came after Aidan Craw was almost killed when he was struck by a taxi outside Glengowan Primary School nearly two weeks ago.

The Advertiser reported last week how Aidan’s mum Julie and other angry parents demanded the reinstatement of the lollipop lady outside the school following the accident, which left the seven-year-old needed a skin graft and ongoing physiotherapy to his foot.

Families said it was “an accident waiting to happen” and accused council bosses of putting children’s lives in danger by withdrawing the lollipop lady from the school.

The school patrol crossing officer returned on Tuesday.

Aidan’s mum Julie said “This just proves that the council made a mistake taking her away in the first place.

“Aidan is on the mend but it is a slow process because he has to be in and out of Yorkhill Hospital for the next six months for physiotherapy and skin grafts.

“His foot is a right mess. I was in tears when I saw it.”

It emerged this week that Glengowan’s Parent Council warned council chiefs in March of the dangers of withdrawing the school crossing.

However, their pleas to keep the lollipop lady on duty fell on deaf ears.

Larkhall SNP councillor Peter Craig this week said he wasn’t aware that the lollipop lady had been removed until the accident occurred on Wednesday, June 1.

He said: “I am concerned that the school crossing patrol officer was removed without any consultation with parents and the school.

“I am extremely concerned about the issue of safety for children.

“They can’t take away a lollipop lady without informing parents.”

Labour councillor Jackie Burns, deputy leader of the council, met last Thursday with representatives of the Parent Council, the school’s head teacher and council bosses to address parents’ concerns.

He said: “In the short term, up until the school finishes for the holidays next Friday, the school crossing patrol officer will be situated outside the Royal Bank of Scotland.

“This will be monitored and reviewed. We have to find a long-term solution.”

Carol Prentice, chairman of the Parent Council said: “We are absolutely thrilled that the lollipop lady is back outside the school gates.

“We want to do everything we can to make the children safer at the school.”

A council spokeswoman said: “Following a meeting last week, the decision was taken to relocate a school crossing patroller from a nearby pedestrian crossing to cover the location at which the accident happened.”