Latest news with #NeilCotton
Telegraph
21-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
What kind of country is this, where a lollipop man can't high-five the kids?
When my three children attended the local state primary school, we had a wonderful lollipop lady called Moreen who would safely escort them across the busiest road in the village. The children adored her and would often buy her chocolate bars from the village newsagents. Moreen was a bit of a local legend. As well as helping with the children, she volunteered at the village football club, called the bingo numbers at the village hall, worked in the local village café – and even manned the village post office at one point. When she passed away quite suddenly several years ago, the village was bereft – we'd lost one of those community-spirited people who willingly sacrificed their time for the benefit of others. You would have thought any local authority – propped up by ever increasing amounts of taxpayers' cash – would cherish these sorts of stalwarts. But no. This week we learnt that a lollipop man in East Yorkshire has been told he can no longer high-five children while they are crossing the road because it slows down traffic. Neil Cotton, 57, has spent the past two years working as a school crossing patrol officer in Howden, where he has formed a close bond with the children from the infant, junior and secondary schools as they crossed the junction known locally as Cross Keys Corner. But in a social media post he announced that he would not be able to high-five the children anymore, because 'it upsets some drivers having to wait another 10 seconds'. Clearly some idiotic and impatient drivers had complained – and rather than telling them to slow down, and take more care driving around at school drop-off and pick-up – the council has sided against Mr Cotton. A council fun sponge, sorry, spokesman said it was 'vitally important children learn to cross the road safely, without any distractions'. How utterly ridiculous. It takes seconds to give a child a high-five and put a smile on their face. No doubt some jobsworth at the council has decreed it poses a health and safety problem – even though pandering to road rage-prone commuters poses an even greater risk.
Metro
19-06-2025
- General
- Metro
Lollipop man banned from giving kids high-fives over 'distraction' fears
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A lollipop man has been stopped from high-fiving children crossing the road because of fears it could cause them 'distractions'. Neil Cotton, 57, works as a school crossing patrol officer in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, where he had been giving local pupils high-fives at a busy turning known locally as Cross Keys Corner. But he has been told by his local council that the gesture could prevent children from learning to cross the road safely. East Riding of Yorkshire Council said an officer had reminded Mr Cotton of 'the need not to have distractions' while crossing. And in a now-deleted social media post, Mr Cotton reportedly wrote that drivers were also frustrated about having to wait extra time at the crossing. 'I have been instructed that I can no longer high-five children any more whilst crossing the road,' he wrote, according to the BBC. 'This is because it upsets some drivers having to wait another 10 seconds.' Local lorry driver Andy Heath, 49, told Metro that he passes the corner sometimes when Mr Cotton is working. 'It's not delaying me as a driver at all,' he said. 'It's political correctness gone mad.' 'He helps the truckers out as its a blind corner and he lets us know if it's safe to proceed or not,' Mr Heath added. 'He always seems to have a cheerful disposition.' Lollipop men and women have the power to stop traffic to help adults and children cross the road. The workers, also known as school crossing patrols, usually tell drivers to stop using their round 'stop' sign, and motorists must do so by law. Current legislation does account for high-fives, but parents and children are still advised by local councils to stay aware when crossing the road with a lollipop person's help. And they should not follow them into the road until the traffic has stopped on both sides. Penny Walker, a Facebook user, posted on a local community board that Mr Cotton is a 'lovely man who loves what he does the kids respect him'. 'I say leave him alone,' she added. Another user, Becky Barlow, said: 'I can't imagine being so miserable to complain about him giving high fives to kids. 'And why on earth the decision was made to side with those misery complaints is beyond me. 'My kids look up to him. We tell them he keeps everyone safe and they love seeing him. 'He's teaching kids to cross safely, we should be encouraging it, not taking away from it.' Kirsty Wilcox told BBC Look North: 'I think it's wrong. Why shouldn't he, what's wrong with it? More Trending 'It puts a smile on the kids' faces. My son does it all the time. But now he gets upset because he's not allowed to do it.' A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said that lollipop men like Mr Cotton are 'pillars of the community, and do a very important job'. But they added: 'It is vitally important that children learn to cross the road safely, concentrating without any distractions, walking carefully and being vigilant of the traffic. 'In this particular case, one of our officers spoke with this crossing patrol and simply reminded them of the need not to have distractions while children are crossing.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Scottish council apologises after school was accused of sectarianism for flying Union Flag MORE: Human remains found in burnt out car on Malton country lane MORE: Children asking to miss school or wetting themselves over 'horror movie' toilets
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Council bans lollipop man from high-fiving children as they cross the road because of health and safety concerns and claims it 'slows down traffic'
A much-loved lollipop man has been banned from high-fiving schoolchildren as they cross the road – because council officials claim it causes traffic delays and poses a health and safety risk. Neil Cotton, 57, has spent the last two years brightening up the school run in the East Yorkshire town of Howden with his cheerful attitude and signature high fives. But the school crossing patrol officer has now been told by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to stop the friendly gesture at once – because it's seen as a 'distraction' and could make children forget how to cross the road safely. The stunned lollipop man took to social media to share the bizarre order, telling parents and supporters: 'I have been instructed that I can no longer high-five children any more whilst crossing the road. 'This is because it upsets some drivers having to wait another 10 seconds.' The junction, locally known as Cross Keys Corner, sees children from infant, junior and secondary schools cross the road daily and for many, Neil's high fives have become a happy part of the morning routine. But now council killjoys have stepped in, saying children should be focused 'without any distractions'. The post, which has since been removed, sparked outrage from local parents with many branding the decision 'absurd' and 'ridiculous'. Mother-of-one Kirsty Wilcox told BBC Look North: 'I think it's wrong. Why shouldn't he, what's wrong with it? 'It puts a smile on the kids' faces. My son does it all the time. But now he gets upset because he's not allowed to do it.' Fellow parent Theresa Holt said: 'It's silly. It takes literally seconds and it gives that child that little bit of happiness. He's great with my little boy and he sees him as a friendly face.' Even drivers weighed in on the row – with many defending Mr Cotton and blasting the council's 'over-the-top' approach. Tony Brooke said: 'It's absurd. Just to high five to them, I don't see there's a problem with that. 'He's going to hold the traffic up to let the kids across so I wouldn't have thought it would add any more time to people's journeys at all. It's crazy.' Another motorist, Michael Dalton, added: 'I think it's a bit OTT to be honest. It's a bit PC [political correctness] going crazy again. As a driver, we need to be a bit more courteous, certainly at school times.' In a statement, East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: 'It is vitally important that children learn to cross the road safely, concentrating without any distractions, walking carefully and being vigilant of the traffic. 'In this particular case, one of our officers spoke with this crossing patrol and simply reminded them of the need not to have distractions while children are crossing. 'However, we are confident they will continue doing a fantastic job and they are much appreciated.' Mr Cotton also revealed he has been told not to help guide larger vehicles around the junction because of fears the council could face legal action if there was an accident.
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Council bans lollipop man from high-fiving children as they cross road
A lollipop man has been ordered to stop giving high fives to school children because of health and safety concerns. For the past two years, Neil Cotton, 57, has sought to brighten the children's day with a high five as they crossed the road in Howden, East Yorkshire. But the school crossing patrol officer has now been told by the council that the gesture is a 'distraction' to children learning to cross the road safely. Mr Cotton said the high fives were also deemed to be upsetting some drivers by slowing down traffic at the junction known as Cross Keys Corner. In a social media post, he said: 'I have been instructed that I can no longer high-five children any more whilst crossing the road. This is because it upsets some drivers having to wait another 10 seconds.' East Riding of Yorkshire Council said one of its officers had spoken to the crossing patrol to say it was 'vitally important' that children learned to cross the road safely without any distractions. Mr Cotton also claimed he had been 'instructed to no longer guide the larger vehicles round Cross Keys Corner to eliminate the chances of legal action if there were to be an accident'. 'Absolutely ridiculous' The council clampdown drew ire on social media from parents who rely on the crossing patrol to keep their children safe. Niccie Downes responded to Mr Cotton's now deleted social media post by thanking him for doing 'an amazing job', calling the decision 'absolutely ridiculous'. She added: 'Finn thinks it's great when you high-five him in passing, which I'm sure all the others do, and as for guiding the lorries you're doing that for safety purposes as that corner is dangerous'. Another parent, Kirsty Wilcox, told BBC Look North: 'I think it's wrong. Why shouldn't he, what's wrong with it? It puts a smile on the kids' faces. My son does it all the time. But now he gets upset because he's not allowed to do it.' Theresa Holt said Mr Cotton's greeting gave children like hers a 'little bit of happiness'. She added: 'He's great with my little boy and he sees him as a friendly face.' A spokesman for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: 'We value all our school crossing patrols, they are pillars of the community, and do a very important job – meeting and greeting children, parents and pedestrians and helping to keep them safe while crossing the road. 'It is vitally important that children learn to cross the road safely, concentrating without any distractions, walking carefully and being vigilant of the traffic. 'In this particular case, one of our officers spoke with this crossing patrol and simply reminded them of the need not to have distractions while children are crossing. However, we are confident they will continue doing a fantastic job and they are much appreciated.'
The Independent
18-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Lollipop man told to stop giving children high fives by council
A lollipop man has been told by a council he can no longer high five children in case they are distracted while crossing the road. Neil Cotton, 57, had been working as a school crossing patrol officer in Howden, East Yorkshire, for two years, when he shared on social media that he had been 'instructed that I can NO LONGER high five the children anymore whilst crossing the road' and 'NO LONGER guide the larger vehicles across Cross Keys Corner to eliminate the chances of legal action if there were to be an accident.' Mr Cotton helps children from pre-school, primary and secondary schools cross the junction known as Cross Keys Corner, of which he warned drivers to 'be careful at the junction as there will be large vehicles in the middle of the road AND some larger vehicles will have no option but to mount the pavements.' The local community shared their dismay over the decision, with Kirsty Wilcox telling BBC Look North that her son was upset that he was no longer allowed to high five the school crossing patrol officer. 'I think it's wrong. Why shouldn't he, what's wrong with it?' She added: 'It puts a smile on the kids' faces.' Another parent, Theresa Holt, said: 'It's silly. It takes literally seconds and it gives that child that little bit of happiness. He's great with my little boy and he sees him as a friendly face.' Drivers have also protested against the move, with Michael Dalton calling the move 'a bit OTT.' 'As a driver, we need to be a bit more courteous, certainly at school times' he added. Driver Tony Brooke described the move as 'absurd', adding he saw no problem with Mr Cotton high fiving the children. 'He's going to hold the traffic up to let the kids across so I wouldn't have thought it would add any more time to people's journeys at all. It's crazy.' A spokesperson from East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: 'We value all our school crossing patrols, they are pillars of the community, and do a very important job – meeting and greeting children, parents and pedestrians and helping to keep them safe while crossing the road. 'It is vitally important that children learn to cross the road safely, concentrating without any distractions, walking carefully and being vigilant of the traffic. 'In this particular case, one of our officers spoke with this crossing patrol and simply reminded them of the need not to have distractions while children are crossing. 'However, we are confident they will continue doing a fantastic job and they are much appreciated."
