A BOLTON lollipop lady has issued a rallying call to the town's school crossing officers to fight against their possible replacement.

Beryl Bartley called for fellow lollipop men and women to "stand up and be counted" after the BEN revealed that Bolton council was considering radical options for their future including scrapping them.

Mrs Bartley, aged 64, of Bradley Fold Cottage, Bradley Fold, accused the council of being money-motivated in considering the change.

She said: "I love my job and the children and I will do all I can to protect them.

"What is more important? Lives or money? Come on all you lollipop people. Stand up and be counted."

She has been a lollipop lady for 20 years and has guided thousands of children from Bowness Primary and Little Lever Secondary Schools across busy Church Street in Little Lever.

"There are children who have grown up with me and some of them have got married and their children are going to the primary school now. Many of us are part and parcel of the local community." But Cllr Guy Harkin, deputy council leader, insisted anyone who thinks children will be left to cross unsupervised has got the wrong end of the lollipop stick.

The council deputy leader moved to quell fears that children would be left to negotiate busy roads alone as parents' concerns mounted.

He said officers are being asked to investigate how the school safety budget can be spent most safely - but as reported in the BEN scrapping lollipop men and women is one option.

Cllr Harkin said this would only happen if safe replacement schemes could be found.

He cited the example of other councils who have who have used "human trains" where attendants pick children up from their homes and walk them in 'crocodile' fashion to school.

"At all times the safety of children must be paramount. Surely, no one could argue with that."