Recruitment campaign leads to 200 new lollipop men and women in Edinburgh

About 200 vacancies for road safety patrols, or 'lollipop' women and men, have been filled in Edinburgh after a major recruitment campaign.

In a bid to tackle a chronic skills shortage, Edinburgh City Council wrote to each primary school parent across the city to ask them to become school crossing guides.

At least 30 parents have now been recruited and there has been a significant decrease in staff turnover, The Scotsman reports.

Councillor Bob Cairns, Edinburgh City Council's environment and streetscape leader, said: "School crossing guides play a crucial role in maintaining this [road safety] record, and over the past year we have carried out a recruitment campaign to make sure all of the key positions are filled."

Councils across Scotland have been facing a shortage of lollipop men and women. Unsociable hours and low income are seen as the main factors contributing to the shortage, but increased traffic and aggressive drivers are also thought to be a deterrent.