LOLLIPOP men and women are to be taken on by Bolton Council without vital police checks.

But they will not be allowed to work with children until they have been given clearance.

Town hall chiefs are desperate to recruit new school crossing patrol staff.

But appointments are being delayed because it can take weeks for police checks to be made.

As a result, many applicants are assuming that they have not been successful and are finding other jobs.

Now council chiefs are to send a letter out offering jobs, but making it clear that it is subject to police clearance.

But councillors at a highways sub committee meeting yesterday were not prepared to allow them to work with children on a trial basis.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Mrs Barbara Ronson said: "Children very quickly form a bond with a lollipop man or woman.

"I don't think that we should take any chances."

Road safety officer Trevor Higson said that when he had worked for another council, someone had been allowed to start work without police checks.

But they had been tipped off by police that the man had a criminal record and should not have been working with children.

Chairman Labour Cllr Peter Finch said: "We will be meeting with the police to see if we can speed things up.

"But this should stop people taking another job while we are waiting for clearance to come through."

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