BETTY Timbrell is a well-known figure in Eldwick near Bingley.

The 84-year-old, from nearby Gilstead, has guided generations of children safely across the road in the 24 years that she has worked on the school crossing patrol.

Betty - who was once crowned Bradford’s favourite school crossing patrol - stands outside Eldwick Primary School helping youngsters to cross the road outside.

She loves her job. “I love being with the children,” she says. “I used to work in the kitchen at Gilstead Middle School so some of the parents know me from there. Their children have grown up alongside me.”

School crossing, or lollipop, patrols provide a vital service by helping children cross roads safely on their way to school, as part of a broader provision of safe crossing facilities by local authorities. Yet across the country they are declining - between 2010 and 2014, there was a cut in the numbers of lollipop people of almost 1,000. This is mainly due to cost-cutting.

Bradford maintains a good service, having 93 patrols across the district, with three more starting this week, and a further three people currently being recruited. All operate at primary school or near primary schools.

Sue Heaton, Bradford Council’s school crossing patrol co-ordinator, says: “The crossing patrols are extremely important as they are there as a service to ensure that children and parents get to and from school as safely as possible.

“We hope having a patrol encourages parents and children to walk to school and help to promote a healthy walking option for them.”

Crossing patrol staff undergo training on site, covering policies and procedures as well as hazards that may be encountered. Patrols play a role in reporting motorists who drive or park in a hazardous way.

Sue says: “They are on the front line and can take numbers of drivers who fail to stop for them. We have a set procedure that is followed where these are forwarded to the police with as much detail as possible. They can ask badly parked drivers to move their cars if possible.”

Betty has suffered inconsiderate drivers at first hand. “It is so busy in Warren Lane, with drivers coming from Eldwick and Baildon,” she says. “Sometimes when you are in the middle of the road they drive straight through at the side. You cannot believe what people do.

“There are a lot more cars now. Drivers stop to drop children off and others try to get around them. Roads such as this need crossings. I try hard to keep the children safe.”

A spokesman for Eldwick Primary School said that Betty was a valued member of the community.

“School would not be school without Betty. She does a vital job. Being a community school, a lot of children walk to school and this is a busy main road. Some parents work and park to drop children off, plus there is the added danger of a shop near the school.

“Without Betty it would not be safe to cross.”

School crossing patrols are important as a friendly face greeting parents and children first thing in the morning.”

Sue says: “Many of our patrols have been crossing children for a number of years and are often as familiar as a teacher to those that cross because they see them every day.

“We encourage all our patrols to be polite and friendly at all times. Schools sometimes invite them in to discuss their role within the nursery and reception classes as part of ‘The People who Help Us’ and we encourage this whenever we can.”

All staff are very dedicated professionals who are out in all the elements that the British weather can throw at them.”

Patrols are located at places where children need to cross the road to get to school and where there are significant risks to safety because of traffic levels.

Anyone can request a new crossing patrol but more often it will be requested by parents or will have been identified during the preparation of a school travel plan. When a request is made, a survey is carried out to establish the number of children wanting to cross and the number and type of vehicles. An assessment is then made of other factors that affect safety.

A patrol can only be provided if the results meet the Council’s criteria.

They can be anywhere along a route to school and may serve more than one school.

Across the country around 46 per cent of children aged between five and ten years and 38 per cent of those aged 11 to 16 walk to school, although, according to the National Travel Survey of 2014, these numbers are in decline as more and more children are driven.