More than 2,000 lollipop men and women lost because of ‘brutal Tory austerity’, says union

West Midlands and north west of England see the biggest drop

The GMB union compared figures from 2009-10 with those in 2017-18 to gauge the extent of the cuts (PA)

The number of lollipop men and women employed in Britain has been cut by more than 2,000 in the past decade, according to a new study.

The GMB union blamed years of austerity for the reduction and warned that it was affecting the safety of children walking to and from school.

The union made a Freedom of Information request to local authorities across Britain, asking how many school-crossing patrol officers they employed in the last financial year compared with 2009-10.

In 2009-10, there were 7,128 employed by councils across England, Scotland and Wales. By 2017-18, that had dropped to 5,047, said the union.

The West Midlands and the northwest were the worst-hit regions, with drops of 386 and 378 respectively, while Wales had 250 fewer school-crossing patrol officers, and Scotland lost 163, according to the GMB.

The GMB's national officer, Rehana Azam, said: “Ten years of brutal Tory austerity have left scars right across our society, and now it's got to the point where our kids aren't even safe walking home from school.

“No parent wants to get the call that their child has been involved in an accident, but that's the risk councils are taking because they are so cash-strapped.

“Austerity is a choice, but councils have been left with no choice but to make savings.

“Our public services need proper funding so they can rebuild from the ruins left by a decade of savage cuts.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Next year, councils in England will have access to £49.2bn – the biggest annual real-terms increase in spending power in a decade.

“Councils, not central government, are best placed to know what their communities need and are responsible for delivering services for residents.”

Press Association