COUNCIL chiefs have scrapped lunchtime lollipop people, saying they are not needed because most children stay in school at dinnertime.

Now one of the county's top lollipop ladies has quit in protest at the move.

Margaret Cole, who was made an MBE for her work helping youngsters across the road, was so angry she resigned after more than 30 years in the post.

County council bosses say scrapping the lunchtime service will save about £68,000 a year that will go towards providing better lighting, signs and road surfaces for existing lollipop sites.

A council spokesman said: "We carried out a survey which revealed that lollipop men and women were just standing around at lunchtime.

"We cannot justify spending taxpayers' money on a service that is no longer needed at that time. The few children who do go home are usually collected. All the savings are going into improving existing services."

Margaret Cole, of Fox Lane, Winchester, has spent more than 30 years working outside Stanmore Primary School.

Her hours were cut by more than half when lunchtime patrols were ditched.

She said: "I wasn't intending to give up but it made me so angry. I know not many children come out at lunchtime but there are always one or two. It's a very dangerous crossing and someone should be there."

The cutback affects 45 lollipop men and women out of the 280 in Hampshire who used to do a lunchtime shift at £5.45 an hour.

But Hampshire County Council said it has consulted all the schools and has been assured that all children who go home at lunchtime are picked up.

Last year 466 primary school children aged between five and seven were either killed or seriously injured on the roads.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said the council must have followed specific criteria but called on them to monitor the situation.

Southampton City Council has not taken any similar measures with its lollipop crossing services.

A spokeswoman said: "Our circumstances have not changed.

"As far as Southampton is concerned there is still a need for the school crossing patrol during the school dinner hour."

Winchester MP Mark Oaten believes it could be the start of a decline in lollipop crossings.

He said: "I am concerned that this is the thin end of the wedge. The county council talks endlessly about encouraging alternatives to the car for taking children to school, but if there are less services then parents will take their cars."