Buckinghamshire Council has asked drivers to be respectful towards lollipop men and women following a rise in abusive language and dangerous driving.

The county’s 60 school crossing patrollers, who help children cross the road to school safely each morning and afternoon, have been subjected to “abusive language and dangerous manoeuvres” from a “small minority” of drivers.

One patroller in Aylesbury said: “It is noticeable how some people speed up as they’re coming towards you, trying to get past. We’re not here to stop people for the fun of it, we’re here to protect the children.”

Buckinghamshire Council has relaunched its ‘Respect Me’ campaign in response to the abuse, reminding motorists to be considerate of the “valuable” job lollipop men and women do every day, rain or shine.

Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “Our lollipop men and women are valuable members of our local school communities and are well-loved and appreciated by the pupils and parents they help.

“We know that the majority of drivers are considerate, but it seems that a minority are choosing to ignore the Highway Code and could be putting lives in danger. We will always have a zero-tolerance approach to behaviour which threatens the physical or mental well-being of our crossing patroller staff or which compromises the safety of those crossing the road.

“We hope that communities will continue to support their local patrollers to do their job safely. We need drivers to be patient and considerate – after all, it’s only asking for a few seconds to ensure everyone crosses safely.”