Crossing patrol crisis leaves children dodging A68 traffic

CHILDREN have been left dodging traffic along a busy main road to get to school because of a shortage of crossing patrols in County Durham.
Toft Hill Primary School, on the A68, has been without its regular crossing patrol since December.
Teachers can only stand alongside the road and keep a watchful eye as children cross, because they are not qualified to stop traffic.
A mobile crossing patrol which helped out briefly was transferred to another school where county council officers believe the risk is greater.
The council says the problem is that few people are applying to fill crossing patrol vacancies.
Headteacher Janet Stobbs said: “We’ve had no crossing patrol since school closed in December because my crossing point has been off ill. There was a relief crossing point, but they took my relief to Barnard Castle. We’ve been left in limbo.”
Despite rigorous campaigning the school has twice been left off plans for a 20mph speed limit on the A68.
Some 60 schools across the county have been offered to safety measure.
Within days of the announcement that Toft Hill was not on the list, a van smashed into a nearby house.
Mrs Stobbs said: “This road is dangerous, something should be done but it feels like Toft Hill is being ignored. No one is listening at all.”
Even though the school has received help from PCSOs, they can do little because they are also not allowed to stop the traffic. Etherley Parish Council discussed the problem at its February meeting and will be writing to Durham County Council for something to be done. The headteacher said many parents had also lodged complaints.
Durham’s head of technical services, John Reed, said a mobile patrol was sent to provide cover but it had to be moved when another school called to say it had a problem too. Mr Reed said: “Regrettably, due to a shortage of school crossing patrols, we were not able to provide cover for both sites.
“We carefully considered safety at the two schools and the risks at Toft Hill were found to be lower. Accordingly, the mobile patrol was redeployed and staff at Toft Hill were informed of this.
“We are expecting the patrol at Toft Hill to return after the half-term holidays.
“We regularly advertise for people to work as school crossing patrols but due to a lack of applicants, unfortunately there are instances where we have to prioritise where we provide them.”
Anyone interested in taking up a crossing patrol job can contact the county council on 03000 261200.