A lollipop man has been stopped from high-fiving children crossing the road because of fears it could cause them ‘distractions’.
Neil Cotton, 57, works as a school crossing patrol officer in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, where he had been giving local pupils high-fives at a busy turning known locally as Cross Keys Corner.
But he has been told by his local council that the gesture could prevent children from learning to cross the road safely.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council said an officer had reminded Mr Cotton of ‘the need not to have distractions’ while crossing.
And in a now-deleted social media post, Mr Cotton reportedly wrote that drivers were also frustrated about having to wait extra time at the crossing.
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‘I have been instructed that I can no longer high-five children any more whilst crossing the road,’ he wrote, according to the BBC.
‘This is because it upsets some drivers having to wait another 10 seconds.’
Local lorry driver Andy Heath, 49, told Metro that he passes the corner sometimes when Mr Cotton is working.
‘It’s not delaying me as a driver at all,’ he said. ‘It’s political correctness gone mad.’
‘He helps the truckers out as its a blind corner and he lets us know if it’s safe to proceed or not,’ Mr Heath added.
‘He always seems to have a cheerful disposition.’
What are the rules for lollipop people?
Lollipop men and women have the power to stop traffic to help adults and children cross the road.
The workers, also known as school crossing patrols, usually tell drivers to stop using their round ‘stop’ sign, and motorists must do so by law.
Current legislation does account for high-fives, but parents and children are still advised by local councils to stay aware when crossing the road with a lollipop person’s help.
And they should not follow them into the road until the traffic has stopped on both sides.
Penny Walker, a Facebook user, posted on a local community board that Mr Cotton is a ‘lovely man who loves what he does the kids respect him’.
‘I say leave him alone,’ she added.
Another user, Becky Barlow, said: ‘I can’t imagine being so miserable to complain about him giving high fives to kids.
‘And why on earth the decision was made to side with those misery complaints is beyond me.
‘My kids look up to him. We tell them he keeps everyone safe and they love seeing him.
‘He’s teaching kids to cross safely, we should be encouraging it, not taking away from it.’
Kirsty Wilcox told BBC Look North: ‘I think it’s wrong. Why shouldn’t he, what’s wrong with it?
‘It puts a smile on the kids’ faces. My son does it all the time. But now he gets upset because he’s not allowed to do it.’
A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said that lollipop men like Mr Cotton are ‘pillars of the community, and do a very important job’.
But they added: ‘It is vitally important that children learn to cross the road safely, concentrating without any distractions, walking carefully and being vigilant of the traffic.
‘In this particular case, one of our officers spoke with this crossing patrol and simply reminded them of the need not to have distractions while children are crossing.’
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