Eighteen lollipop crossings cut

The council said scrapping the crossings will save them £50,000

Eighteen school crossing patrol sites are to be removed across Wirral in a bid to cut costs.

The borough council said removing the sites, staffed by lollipop men and women, would save the council £50,000.

It is not yet clear which crossings will be scrapped but the council said the schools affected would be informed "as soon as possible after half term".

A spokesman said staff and schools would be consulted on alternative options available.

'Plan routes'

The move has been criticised by Wallasey Conservative councillor Leah Fraser.

She said: "Mums and dads across Wirral are being kept in the dark over the safety of their children.

"If school crossing patrols are to be cut, parents and schools must be told so that alternative arrangements can be made."

The council said it would provide full training to schools wishing to provide voluntary staff to patrol their school crossing.

Schools will also be able to pay for their own council provided patrols, it said.

A council spokesperson said: "We would encourage parents and pupils walking to school to plan their route to make use of existing pedestrian crossing facilities such as puffin, pelican or zebra crossings."