Axed lollipop patrol to be saved and relocated

A school crossing patrol that was set to be removed after a change of council rules could be saved by moving it to a new location, a council has said.

Lytchett Matravers Primary School in Dorset was set to lose its lollipop lady after Dorset Council told the parish council the patrol could no longer be positioned on a zebra crossing.

Parents described the change as "ridiculous", saying the road was dangerous, and fears were heightened on Monday following a two-car crash near the school.

Dorset Council said it was in talks with the school and parish council to move the patrol to a new position at the school's southern entrance.

Dorset Council stopped funding the lollipop patrol after installing a zebra crossing in 2025 so, since September, it has been funded by Lytchett Matravers Parish Council.

Place services councillor Jon Andrews said: "We are working with Lytchett Matravers Primary School and the parish council to agree a new separate safe crossing point at the southern entrance to the site.

"This will allow the School Crossing Patrol (SCP) role to continue, supported by the parish council.

"We understand how important the SCP is to families in Lytchett Matravers, and we've listened carefully to the school and the parish council. Our priority remains keeping children safe."

Andrews said the new rules followed national changes affecting patrols on zebra crossings.

He said: "A zebra crossing already instructs drivers that they must stop for people waiting to cross, as set out in the Highway Code.

"Adding a patrol on top of this can make it less clear what drivers are expected to do, increasing risk rather than reducing it.

"Moving the SCP to a separate point away from the zebra crossing removes that risk.

"We're committed to putting these new arrangements in place quickly so families have clarity and children can continue to travel to school safely and confidently."