A HEAD teacher fears that a child will be killed crossing the road outside her school - unless a new lollipop man or woman can be found.

Pupils arriving and leaving Feniscowles Primary School, Blackburn, are having to cross busy Livesey Branch Road without help because the school has no crossing patrol.

Head teacher Elizabeth Hargreaves said: "Every time I come into the school I am going to be wondering it will be the day when a child dies crossing that road."

The lollipop man who served the school for the last 10 years had to retire when he reached 75 in May.

A temporary replacement was found but he had to leave on Friday.

The school has been told no replacement is available.

The children were helped across the road by a police officer yesterday, but the police will only provide cover in emergencies and will not be able to help every day.

Miss Hargreaves said a crossing patrol was vital if the children's safety was to be ensured.

She said: "There is definitely going to be a child killed. The traffic just doesn't stop. "A lady was killed on Preston Old Road not far from here last week and without a shadow of a doubt there is going to be another fatality here soon."

More than 400 pupils attend the school, which has its junior department on Livesey Branch Road and its infant department on Park Farm Road.

Sharon Loftus, of Rew Close, Blackburn, has two children at the school - Ryan, 11, and eight-year-old Kelly.

She said: "It is not so bad for Ryan because he is in his last year at the school and knows how to cross the road but my daughter is only eight and doesn't have any road sense yet.

"It is such a busy road. I was petrified this morning, thinking of them having to cross.

"It is not the school's fault but the council have known the last crossing patrol was temporary and they should have done something about the situation before it got to this stage."

A county council spokesman said there was a general shortage of patrols.

"We are calling on people in Blackburn to help us provide this very important service. Without their help the situation may get worse," he said.

"We need permanent and mobile crossing patrols throughout the town."

Anyone interested in the job can ring 01772 628732.

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