VIDEO: Call to provide lollipop man with body camera after 'near miss' outside school
Elaine Boys’ daughter Yasmin was walking across Thakeham Road with her dad David with the help of lollipop man Mick Bassett, last Tuesday, when a car sped through the crossing.
The Thakeham Primary School pupil was pulled to safety by her dad before the car passed close to him and Yasmin narrowly avoiding a collision, Elaine said.
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Hide Ad“It won’t prevent such incidents happening again but I think if lollipop men had body cameras then it would be much easier to clamp down on these near misses,” she added.
“It’s quite worrying that somebody was driving along and didn’t notice a man walk out into the road with a high-vis jacket on – especially in an area so close to two schools.”
Elaine reported the incident to Thakeham Primary who alerted West Sussex County Council.
A spokesman for the county council said discussions with the school ‘will start’ with a view to incorporating a body camera for the school crossing patrol site during the summer term.
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Hide AdThe county council has been working in conjuction with Sussex Police to encourage schools to use body cameras to deter ‘drive throughs’ outside schools.
The spokesman added: “If footage is captured of an offence, it is passed to Sussex Police to consider as evidence for possible prosecution.”
Samantha Norton, the headteacher of Thakeham Primary, told the County Times a review for body cameras had been requested.
Elaine added: “If my husband hadn’t have been holding Yasmin’s hand, it could have been a far worse outcome.
“Two people, maybe more, could have been seriously injured that day.”