Suffolk’s lollipop men and women are being forced to wear bodycams as a ‘last resort’ after being abused and spat at by motorists and cyclists.
The county council said the kit would be rolled out to 55 school crossing patrols after a spate of abuse across the country.
In Lowestoft, Suffolk, an officer was spat at while in Ipswich another officer was abused by a teenage cyclist after he was politely asked to dismount.
Andy, an Ipswich lollipop man, said: ‘You get some people who will shout and scream obscenities.
‘It does get you down after a while.’
Ian, who started as a lollipop man in Bury St Edmunds after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, said the abuse can sometimes ruin his job.
The council emphasised it is a legal obligation to stop, with a fine of up to £1,000 and three penalty points for failing to do so.
Lynne, another officer who also works in Ipswich, added: ‘It’s scary for us and it’s certainly scary for the parents and the children.’
Suffolk’s lollipop men and women are to be given bodycams to combat rising abuse
Suffolk County Council has begun a new awareness campaign to remind drivers they must stop when they see lollipop signs
Fiona, based in Lowestoft, said: ‘We do have drivers that will zoom round me to go and pick up a child, which is bizarre.
‘Part of your job is being nice to people, which comes naturally, and when people are nasty, it hurts.’
The three have asked not to use their surnames for fear of further abuse.
Suffolk County Council is running a six-week awareness campaign on the issue, with adverts on the back of buses, radio adverts and targeted social media advertising.
Named ‘Lollipops aren’t just for children’, the campaign will remind drivers of their legal obligation to comply with the stop signs.
Bodycams will now be given to all officers following a trial which saw abusers successfully prosecuted.
Keith Welham, a member of Suffolk County Council, said: ‘It’s terrible that it has come to this.
‘Some of the abuse these officers have received is horrific and a lot of it is down to impatience and bad manners.
Bodycam footage from Hertfordshire County Council showed drivers narrowly missing a lollipop lady and pedestrians on a zebra crossing
The crossing guard could be heard shrieking as the car burst through beside her
In another clip a car continued driving over the crossing as the guard stepped into the road
‘I can’t understand why someone would treat their friendly crossing patrol officer like this.
‘It is a real shame it has come to this, but we need to keep officers safe.’
Councillor Chris Chambers said the patrols play a vital role in keeping streets safe.
He said: ‘This sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable and by launching this awareness campaign to remind people of their responsibilities, together we can help make Suffolk’s roads safer for everyone.’
Bodycams were given to Rochdale’s school crossing patrols in 2024 after a lollipop lady was punched while trying to stop traffic.
A four-year-old boy was clipped by a car in a hit-and-run that year after it failed to stop at a crossing in the city.
Five days later a car queueing in traffic reversed into an 11-year-old girl as she was crossing the road.
And in November bodycam footage from a crossing patrol in Hertfordshire showed drivers failing to stop when children were on a zebra crossing and narrowly avoiding collisions.
