It is no surprise that Oxfordshire County Council is having trouble filling vacancies for lollipop men and women.

They not only have to work inconvenient hours for little pay, but face the daily danger of speeding drivers.

It is appalling that drivers are willing to put at risk the lives of children, not to mention those of the school crossing staff, for the sake of saving a few minutes.

Once the lollipop man or woman is on the road, children and their parents can reasonably expect it is safe to cross.

The police must crack down hard on motorists, who ignore the patrols, and the council should consider putting in pelican crossings on busy roads, where there are serious problems.

Motorists might take more notice of a red light than a lollipop sign.

There might also be a case for a few road humps...