Walsall Council has launched a recruitment drive to combat a severe shortage of lollipop men and women. The council will put specially designed posters up at crossings that are without a warden.

The borough has a large number of long term lollipop vacancies. Council leaders have already tried a range of methods to recruit new lollipop people, including holding roadshows and other advertising campaigns.

The council hopes the campaign will spark off similar initiatives across the nation.

Walsall Council already has a pool of mobile wardens who cover when crossings are vacant because of illness.

The current rate of pay is £4.97 per hour plus a car mileage allowance. Relief wardens work a minimum of 12 hours per week.

Theresa Cash, from Walsall Council, told the BBC: “We thought the poster was a great way of getting our recruitment message straight to the heart of communities across the borough.”