A retired Keighley lollipop lady welcomes government plans to drop child-only crossing rules.

Iris Pearce was rapped by police in 1990 for helping the elderly and disabled - as well as children - cross busy North Street at her patrol point outside St Anne's Primary School.

Under current regulations, lollipop people are insured only to help school-age children across the road. Lone adults or elderly people cannot be assisted unless they have a child of school age present.

But now the government is proposing to allow school crossing patrols to help vulnerable pedestrians and adults.

Mrs Pearce, of Kenya Mount, Black Hill, who received a wave of public support for her stance against the child-only ruling, is delighted. She says: "Hooray! These changes should have been made ages ago. The law at the moment is comical and ridiculous. The sooner it comes into effect the better."

, waiting a year isn't suitable'.

Iris is going to write to Parliament and Ann Cryer MP to see if the process can be speeded up.

Keighley police declined to comment.

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