A Peterborough mum says children are at risk after her daughter's school lost its crossing patrol
Peterborough council is being urged to reinstate the patrol, but the cabinet will be recommended to stick with their decision at a meeting today
Last updated 1st Oct 2025
A mum in Peterborough has warned that scrapping her daughter's school crossing patrol could have serious consequences.
Peterborough City Council’s cabinet is recommended to stick with a decision to scrap crossing patrols at primary schools despite pushback from parents.
Removing patrols is like pulling away a safety net while children are still on the high wire
The authority made cuts to crossing patrols at primary schools in Eye, Old Fletton, Newark Hill and Werrington in a bid to save money and help to balance the 2024/25 budget, leaving lollipop men and women redundant.
However, a petition asking the council to re-examine the decision, created by Werrington resident Nyree Ambarchian, received 553 valid signatures and led to all city councillors agreeing in July that the matter should be reconsidered by cabinet as soon as possible.
Cabinet members are meeting today and will be recommended to uphold the original decision made by councillors to scrap the patrols and instead implement additional mitigation measures.
The council has maintained that ceasing the crossing patrols was “one of several difficult choices” made by councillors and that alternative safety measures were in place at the schools.
Children’s lives and safety must come first
Werrington parent Kerri Deboo, who presented the petition to full council on behalf of Ms Ambarchian in July, said:
“The cabinet faces a stark choice – and it is the city’s children who will bear the consequences."
“Every morning and afternoon, young children step off the pavement, school bags on their backs, trusting the world around them to keep them safe. Without crossing patrols, that trust is misplaced."
“Yes, new safety measures are promised, but crucially, they are not yet in place. Until they are, removing patrols is like pulling away a safety net while children are still on the high wire."
“Our message is simple: children’s lives and safety must come first. Reinstate the crossing patrols until the new measures are delivered – because no budget line can balance the cost of a child’s life.”
The council has temporarily reinstated the school crossing patrol service at Eye Primary School until a zebra crossing is installed by a housing developer as part of a nearby development.
This came following a separate successful petition from Eye mum Katie Berry.