PARENTS are battling to keep a street crossing patrol at a Huddersfield school.

Lollipop lady Celia Mulligan retired last week after 12 years outside St Patrick's Catholic Primary School in Birkby.

Now Kirklees Council highways chiefs say she will not be replaced because the number of children crossing George Avenue is too low.

But parents say Mrs Mulligan had performed a vital role and a crossing warden should stay.

Mary Kitchen, who has two children, aged eight and 10, at the school, said: "They said they needed at least 15 children crossing the road, but had only counted 14. We know more do cross and we're very concerned about it."

She also said Mrs Mulligan had taken it on herself to keep an eye on children waiting for their school bus at the end of the day.

Because the bus has to call at another school first, it does not arrive until 20 minutes after pupils are let out of St Patrick's.

Mrs Kitchen said: "She kept the children together until the bus arrived."

A Kirklees spokesman said: "We regret the crossing patrol service at St Patrick's is being withdrawn as the numbers using it no longer meet our criteria, which are lower than those recommended by the Government."

He added: "There is also a shortage of crossing patrols for roads which do meet the criteria."