Bath & North East Somerset Council is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the School Crossing Patrol service.

The School Crossing Patrol service was founded in 1953 and to this day helps thousands of children and adults across the country get to school safely.

There are currently seventeen active School Crossing Patrols in Bath & North East Somerset, each will be given a commemorative badge celebrating the platinum jubilee of the service.

The very first crossing warden was Mrs Mary Hunt, a school caretaker in Bath, who began helping children cross the road at Kingsmead Square in 1937. The school where Mrs Hunt first began her patrols was destroyed during World War Two bombing, but she continued patrolling in Bath until 1962, totalling 25 years of service.

Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet Member for Transport said: “The School Crossing Patrol service is a much-loved British institution, and I’d like to thank all our crossing wardens for keeping our communities safe and their continued service.

“What Mrs Mary Hunt started in 1937 is another wonderful piece of heritage for Bath.”

The Council is currently recruiting for additional School Crossing Patrols.