She spoke out after parents of pupils were told by Bradford council, which is responsible for crossings, they must take responsibility for seeing their children across the street in the absence of a school crossing patrol.

The worries concern St Anne's Primary School on Keighley's busy North Street.

The regular lollipop lady is recovering from a hand injury after an incident involving a car earlier this month.

Her popular predecessor Iris Pearce has been told she cannot do the job unofficially because neither she nor the children would have any insurance cover should there be an accident.

St Anne's head-teacher Catherine Goodridge says: "No member of staff or parent has volunteered to be an official stand-in for the regular crossing patrol, and police cannot help out because school crossing patrols are no longer employed by them."

She says there is nothing to stop Mrs Pearce taking a child across the road by the hand as a mother would, but that she cannot stop the traffic.

A police spokesman says stopping oncoming traffic without proper equipment could be dangerous. He explains school crossing patrol staff are employed by Bradford council, which provides insurance cover for both staff and children.

He says Mrs Pearce would be personally liable if anything happened to a child after she had stepped into the road.

Angry mother Anita Emmott, of Riddlesden, says: "I think police should take responsibility. There are enough traffic wardens and if they can't do this it is a poor do.

"Children have to get to school safely. It seems unfair when a member of the publc is willing to try to get the children across that she's not allowed."

Shazia Malik, 20, of Keighley, who takes young family members to school, says she had to wait 15 minutes to get across the road in the absence of a school crossing patrol because drivers would not give way.

Mrs Goodridge says: "I just want my children to be safe." She adds that in the old days police would provide a stand-in where possible.

"Now people are offered a £4-a-week retainer to act as reserve wardens available during the regular patrol's absence.

"My parents aren't interested because they have to take their own children to school and staff are very busy people," says Mrs Goodridge.

"But we are aware of how dangerous it is at the moment. We have to trust parents to look after their own children. I have done all I can but I feel frustrated."

A Bradford council spokesman says: "We do need a reserve school crossing patrol for North Street.

"We have sent out letters to parents of children at St Anne's, and we would appeal to anyone who could stand in when necessary and spare a couple of hours a day to help the children get safely across North Street."

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