Meet York’s youngest ever lollipop lady.

At just 18 years old, Marie Patterson, from Acomb, became a lollipop lady after leaving college to look after her mum when she had a heart attack.

She got the idea for the job from a family friend and hasn’t looked back since.

Marie, whose patrol for Acomb primary school is in Acomb Road, said: “I love doing the job, there’s never a dull moment and no bad sides, other than when it snows.”

She said she tought the job was not popular among other people her age, mainly, because of the small number of hours, only five or six a week, and the rather “unbecoming uniforms”.

Marie’s boss, Jayne Ward, York’s school crossing patrol supervisor, said Marie was the youngest lollipop lady they had ever had. Of the current staff the next oldest is 30, and the average age is more than 60.

The men and women in charge of York’s crossing patrols celebrated 60 years of service at a special ceremony at City of York Council’s West Offices which saw 22 crossing patrol officers being presented with a commemorative Diamond Jubilee badge and a certificate to mark the milestone.

While many of the officers, like Marie, are fairly new to the job, there is a small group of staff who have shown an extra level of commitment.

Five staff have given more than 30 years of service, and some are approaching 40 years. Chistine Horn, 65, of Osbaldwick, has been described as “the real hero of the service”.

Mrs Horn has clocked up 42 years on the job and explained that the highlight of her career was winning the eXtra Factor Individual of the Year award for public service in 2011. She describes her work as “a really lovely, satisfying job” and she hopes to make it to 50 years of service.