"Lollipop rage" - in which school crossing staff are threatened by drivers - is being tackled by a local authority.

Redcar and Cleveland council, in the north east of England, has launched a campaign to reduce the number of incidents in which lollipop men and women are harassed by motorists.

The Please Stop campaign says that there are an average of two incidents a week, in which crossing patrols outside schools are verbally abused or endangered by dangerous driving, such as cars failing to stop.

"We regularly hear incidents of drivers shouting obscenities out of the window or just simply sounding their horn in frustration at just having to wait a few seconds," said road safety officer, Mike Hall.

"We have reports from all over the borough of bad behaviour from drivers. Many even fail to stop when children are actually crossing the road."

"Our officers are carrying out a service to the community, but on too many occasions it is becoming a very difficult and unpleasant task."

Promoting the campaign, leaflets calling for fairer treatment for the council's 98 lollipop staff were handed out at school crossings on Tuesday.

In Derby last year, lollipop staff were given training in tackling confrontations, after three wardens needed hospital treatment after being hit by cars, and more than 60 complained of intimidation from drivers.