FIFE Council has no plans to axe lollipop men and women across as child safety remains a "top priority".

So parents can feel re-assured that the Lollipop men and women who guide pupils to and from schools will remain in action at the 17 primary schools in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area.

Moray Council recently became the first local authority in Scotland to axe their school crossing patrols as part of budget cuts.

The decision to cut 28 positions was made to recoup around £120,000 of savings.

The Timesasked Fife Council this week whether they had similar plans on the cards.

Jeff Jacobs, service manager (janitorial and cleaning), said: "The safety of our pupils is a top priority and there are no plans to remove staff from crossings."

He went on to state that there are 180 crossing points at or near schools in Fife with more than half patrolled by School Crossing Patrol Officers (SCPOs).

He explained: "Several years ago we reduced the number of staff required for crossing duties by creating a dual role for school janitors and crossing patrols.

"There are some 180 crossing points at or near schools in Fife and 95 of these are staffed by School Crossing Patrol Officers (SCPOs), while the rest are staffed by people with the dual role.

"This allowed us to make some efficiency savings without changing the help available to local families."

New figures show that one in six lollipop men and women have been axed over eight years in Scotland.

A total of 163 school crossing patrol personnel have disappeared in Scotland between 2009/10 and 2017/18 as councils across the country have felt the financial pinch, according to data produced by the GMB union.

However, Fife Council currently remain committed to keeping their SCPOs and attracting new faces to take on the jobs.

He said: "We do often find it difficult to recruit SCPOs.

"We advertise our vacancies on www.myjobscotland.gov.uk and welcome applications from anyone interested in taking up these positions."