A BURNLEY lollipop lady today told how she had been kept standing outside a primary school even though children moved to a new school down the road 16 weeks ago.

Sharon Grice, 46, has been ordered to remain at the crossing in Coal Clough Lane, next to the now-closed Coal Clough Primary School, by county council chiefs - even though there are no children to watch across the road.

But Lancashire County Council said today Mrs Grice was due to move to a new post near the new school, Cherry Fold Community Primary School in Cog Lane on Monday - although she believes the move could end up being a waste of time.

She said: "I've been standing here for 16 weeks with nothing to do, occasionally a couple of kids from other schools walk across this road and I can see them safely over but apart from that I've been redundant. I've been told I'll be moving to outside the new school on Monday but even when I go there I'll be standing away from the school so when the kids come out they will just go straight across the road and they won't come down to where I am so that I can see them across the road."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said Sharon had not been moved because Cherry Fold Community Primary School had been late in applying for a lollipop lady. But Sharon will be stationed outside the new school next week.

He said: "She is being moved this coming Monday.

"The school has to apply for a crossing patrol outside the school and was late in submitting the application. It has been picked up by the council in the last few weeks."