A lollipop lady working outside a disused school in Burton is still needed despite the school closing down eight years ago, according to Staffordshire County Council.

Short Street Infants School in Stapenhill closed in 2009, with the building left abandoned on the site to this day.

Questions have been raised as to why Staffordshire County Council continue to employ the worker who helps children cross the road, near the closed school, while another Burton lollipop lady recently had her wages cut by the council.

Kind-hearted distribution centre manager Michael Price, stepped in to help lollipop lady Claire Sworder who has been helping children cross the road outside Rykneld Primary School, in Main Street, Branston, for four years.

The 41-year-old was left devastated last year when her £4,100 a year post was cut by Staffordshire County Council to save money.

Helen Fisher, the cabinet support member for highways and transport at Staffordshire County Council said decisions made about placement of crossings and workers followed national guidelines. The road on Short Street is still busy with children heading to River View Primary and Nursery School, in Suffolk Road and Paulet High School, in Violet Way, she said.

Mrs Fisher added: "All our crossing points are regularly assessed using national guidelines and patrols are deployed to those crossing that meet the criteria.

"The site at Short Street is busy with vehicles and lorries delivering to the local shops and there are a high number of unaccompanied children from Riverview and Paulet High school crossing the road."

Mr Fisher also said the safety of children when crossing roads was a future priority for the council.

She said: "Keeping school children safe when using the roads is one of our top priorities and our roads continue to be amongst the safest in the country.

"Our school crossing patrols are one of a number of initiatives we use to help keep our children safe on the journey to school. We also have more than 80 walking buses and our '20 is Plenty' campaign which encourages motorists to slow down outside schools has benefited around 200 schools."

Staffordshire County Council’s 20 is Plenty scheme

Drivers in Staffordshire are being reminded that '20 is Plenty' when it comes to their speed as the county council rolls out a road safety campaign for driving near schools.

The scheme from Staffordshire County Council has been set up to remind drivers of the limits that they should be travelling at near school.

Speed indication devices, which show the speed of a vehicle as it passes a certain area have been placed outside 15 schools across the county, to make drivers aware of their speed.