Parents and children staged a protest to call for more lollipop men and women.

To most children, crossing patrols are an integral part of going to school. But in Oxfordshire they are becoming increasingly rare.

There are currently more than 20 vacancies in the county for lollipop people. The county council has the money to pay them, but says it has been unable to attract candidates.

The shortage led 35 parents to hold a demonstration beside a busy road in Headington, Oxford, yesterday.

The corner of Margaret Road and Windmill Road has been without a lollipop man for five months. Parents of children attending two nearby schools and a playgroup fear a child will be hurt if action is not taken.

Julie Boone, whose daughter Lora attends Headington Quarry First School, said: "It is vital that we either get a new lollipop man or some other kind of help. The council is trying to encourage people to allow their children to walk to school rather than use the car, but it needs to be safe.

"We think we should have a pelican crossing or a police officer to help if we cannot get a lollipop man." Keith Welham, chief engineer for the county council, said he was baffled why more lollipop people could not be recruited. The job, currently done by more than 100 people countywide, involves working for about an hour each day and pays about £40 a week.

He said: "There is a drive to fill the vacancies, but we cannot ask the police to step in. Pelican crossings can be dangerous if they are not used consistently throughout the day."

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