CHILDREN'S safety would be put at risk by cutting the number of lollipop crossing patrols in Bolton, campaigners claimed today.

A headteacher and a road safety activist are concerned about Bolton Council's review of crossing patrol positions.

Fourteen of Bolton's 100 crossing patrols are vacant -- and town hall bosses are discussing whether to scrap 11 of them. The number of crossing patrols has been already reduced from 123 since April 1999.

Bolton Council insists that its crossing patrol officer vacancy rate is better than some other local authorities.

The full list of patrols under review in Bolton has not yet been published, but it is understood to include patrols at: Green Lane/Newport Road, Great Lever; Blenheim Road, near Garstang Avenue, Breightmet; and Hough Fold Way, near South Drive, Harwood.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: "Out of 100 patrols, we have 86 filled. Of the 14 vacancies, 11 sites are under review to look at child pedestrian and vehicle numbers to see if the need for a school crossing patrol is still met. We sometimes advertise for patrol officers, but people often come to us by word of mouth and once they come they tend to stay with us."

One of the vacancies is at a patrol crossing near to Bishop Bridgeman School, Great Lever.

Headteacher Graham Burrows said: "I am very concerned about the issue of road safety outside schools.

"We've had a couple of close misses just outside the school and we're desperately hoping some traffic calming measures will be introduced."

Belmont resident Anne Jones, a member of campaign group Roadpeace, said: "I don't know which areas are being reviewed, but from what I've seen, people do not drive any better near schools than they do anywhere else. It sounds like a stupid idea."

She said crossing patrol officers play an important role in making drivers more aware of children crossing roads as they leave school at home time.

The shortage of crossing patrol officers is not just causing concern in Bolton. A headteacher in Wales has become a lollipop man to make sure his pupils get to and from school safely because he fed up of crossing patrol shortages.