The Rev Ben Phillips is preaching the gospel of road safety to children at a village school.

Mr Phillips, vicar of St John the Baptist church, Bodicote, near Banbury, is on lollipop patrol at Bishop Loveday school because of a desperate shortage of volunteers.

"No-one else was doing it and the need was getting more and more important," said Mr Phillips, 34, who patrols busy White Post Road every Thursday.

"The number of near misses reported to the school is worrying, particularly in the morning rush when drivers are late for work.

"I have had some digging and laughing but it's a good role to have and people are glad to see someone helping their children across the road.

Mr Phillips has been a governor of the school, which has about 400 pupils aged four to 11, for three years. His two children, Jack and Imogen, are also pupils there.

He was trained by Oxfordshire County Council's schools crossings supervisor Don Richings.

Mr Richings said many schools in Oxfordshire were unable to find volunteers to work just half-an-hour in the morning and the same in the afternoon.

Bishop Loveday headteacher Linda Rowley said: "Since our last crossing person left we have had no-one at all. It was Ben's idea to become a warden and hopefully this will bring other people forward.

Anyone interested can call 01295 263157.

Story date: Wednesday 17 February

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.