IT'S a heart-warming scene.

A lollipop lady stops the traffic before helping schoolchildren and their parents across the road. But this re-assuring picture will end today for the lollipop lady in question - when she is forced to retire.

Mary Morales has been safely guiding children across the dangerous B6226 for 25 years, and she had worked at another school for three years before that.

She has outlasted teachers and even a headmaster at Horwich Parish Primary School.

But the lollipop gran who has a place in every pupil's heart is 70 today - too old according to officials at Bolton Council.

At 3.20pm every day, when the bell goes at Horwich Parish, excited children have gathered around her waiting impatiently to get home.

But the lollipop gran kindly keeps them in order.

Even in the pouring rain she is there, taking her important job very seriously indeed.

When she holds out her stop sign, the lorries, cars and buses all know they have to give way to her. Many drivers know Mrs Morales, of Grosvenor Way, Horwich, by sight and even give her a cheery wave.

The B6226 - Chorley Old Road - is treacherous for children.

There is a long, steep decline into Horwich where it becomes Church Street.

It is not an easy job but grandma-of-two Mrs Morales has loved every minute of it.

And the kids and parents love her too.

One parent, a foster mum with two children of her own, said: "On Christmas Day and Mother's Day, she can hardly get home with the armfuls of presents she gets from the kids.

"She does a brilliant job. We're upset that she's going and she'll be missed, especially by the children."

The parent said it was vital to have a lollipop lady who knows all the youngsters by sight and can keep a watchful eye over them.

"She knows all the kids and all the parents so well and, if there was any problems, she would know if something wasn't right. I don't want her to go."

John Leech, aged 62, came to collect granddaughter Rachel, aged nine.

He said: "She certainly seems all there. If she wants to carry on, she should be able to. You get to a certain age and they write you off."

Julie Marsh, aged 34, of Siemens Street, has five-year-old daughter Kirsten at the school.

She said simply: "It's unfair really."

One grandmother, who came to collect her two grandchildren, said: "She's quite fit and active. I don't think she'll ever be ready to retire."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.