Parents at a Bradford school say their calls for a crossing patrol to help children negotiate a busy road are stuck in limbo because of a Council review of the service – which has so fast lasted more than a year.

The majority of pupils attending Peel Park Primary School enter and exit the school through a gate on the A658 Otley Road.

The gate opened in September, and ever since staff and parents have been asking Bradford Council to provide a crossing patrol on the busy street.

But they have been told it will not be able to provide one until the review into the school crossing patrol service is completed.

Parents are now so desperate for action that they contacted ward Councillor Tracey Leeming for help, and set up a petition calling for a lollipop man or woman to be hired as soon as possible.

During a half hour spell outside the school they collected the names of almost 90 parents supporting the petition.

Peel Park head teacher Lloyd Mason Edwards said he is now in the process of finding a way to provide a crossing service, but would be doing so without any guarantee that the Council will come up with the funding.

Coun Leeming (Lib Dem, Bolton & Undercliffe) said: “The school is stuck where nothing is happening. This is one of the main arterial routes into the city.

“I asked about this at a full Council meeting in February and I expected something to have happened by now.

“We need to know what is going on with this review, because it doesn’t just affect this school – I know others schools are asking similar questions.”

Mr Mason Edwards said: “We can’t just wait, there is no price for children’s safety so we are doing something about it as soon as possible. We’re trying to get a lollipop man or woman, but I don’t know if we’ll get any funding for it.”

He said the school had already paid £12,500 to fund two road safety signs near the new entrance.

Yasmin Saleem, who has three children at the school, was one of the parents who organised the petition.

She said: “It is really dangerous, and the road can be difficult to cross when a lot of cars don’t stop for children.

“Something needs to be done about this. This is something the Council shouldn’t be putting a price on. I think we should eventually have a zebra crossing here.”

Councillor Ralph Berry, the executive member for children’s services on the Council, said: “School crossing patrols are a matter we are urgently looking into, and it has to be linked into issues with recruiting people for these positions so the coverage matches what is being asked for.”

He said he would pursue the progress of the review.