Urgent call for lollipop person as safety fears grow

A call has been made for an urgent appointment of a lollipop person along Bede Road in Barnard Castle.

County and town councillor Chris Foote-Wood says Durham County Council needs to quickly find a replacement for businessman John Moore who has been unable to perform the duty because of vertigo.

And Mr Moore agrees, despite potentially returning to the post soon.

The crossing is used by pupils from Teesdale School and Green Lane Primary School.

Cllr Foote-Wood said: “With no warden in place, this crossing is particularly dangerous at school times.

“There is no central reservation, and four busy roads converge at this point.

“The county council must make it a priority to recruit a temporary warden,” he said.

“As a long-term solution, I have also asked the county council to consider installing a zebra crossing at this point, which is always difficult to cross.”

However, county officers say it is does not have any relief staff to provide cover when lollipop persons are temporarily out of action.

Writing back to Cllr Foote-Wood the road safety team said: “We have a permanent job advert out for casual posts but rarely see any applicants.

“Any support to promote the vacancy for casuals in the area would be appreciated.”

The team added: “Likewise, we understand the temporary absence of a school crossing patrol can lead to challenges for pedestrians wishing to cross the road to which we advise parents and carers to exercise care, allowing additional time for their school journey as they may need to wait until there is a safe gap in the traffic to cross safely without the assistance of the patrol.

“In addition, some children may not be able to assess traffic speed and distance and may experience difficulty in crossing on their own and may need to be accompanied by a parent or carer.”

Mr Moore told the Mercury that he has been put on new medication to treat the vertigo and he would be undergoing another test with the county council’s occupational health team in the next fortnight to see if he is well enough to return.

Of the work he said: “I have done many jobs.

“I was in the army for 15 years and then I was self-employed.

“This job pays the least, but it has been the best job in the world.

“I really want to be back on the crossing.”

He added that although doctors are unsure what is causing the vertigo, it may be linked to an operation he had about ten years ago after suffering a brain bleed, which left him in a short coma.

The road safety team said they had passed Cllr Foote-Wood’s request for a pededstrain crossing on to the traffic assets team.