A DRIVE to recruit more lollipop men and women in York is proving a success - but hundreds of children in neighbouring areas still face treacherous walks to school on their own.

Only a handful of vacancies for crossing patrols remain in the City of York Council area - but in the Selby area, almost one in three posts is unfilled.

The news emerged ahead of a mass training event in Guildhall, offering lollipop people advice on a range of job-related issues.

Earlier this year, City of York Council stepped up its efforts to plug the gaps in its force of crossing patrols. Since the campaign was launched, more volunteers have come forward.

But in the North Yorkshire County Council area, the picture is still bleak. Last October, The Press reported that half of the posts in Selby district were vacant, and while the situation has improved, there remains a severe shortage.

Andy Scaife, the county council's school crossing patrol officer, said: "There are a lot of vacancies in North Yorkshire. There are 32 staff and 17 vacancies on top of that, in the southern half of North Yorkshire."

Mr Scaife was invited to yesterday's meeting at Guildhall.

City of York Council's human resources advisor, Mark Bennett, said: "Many local authorities across the country experience difficulties in recruiting enough crossing patrol staff. Although the problem is not as severe in York as in some areas, we are continuing our campaign to attract more people to the role."

Yesterday's training and awareness event saw patrol staff from across the city gather to hear presentations by the police and council officers on road safety, and driver and cyclist awareness.

The speakers also offered hints and tips on the "dos and don'ts" of being a school crossing patrol.

A council spokeswoman said: "Keep it safe, keep it simple' is the message that the police, the council and its crossing patrols want to get across to drivers and cyclists. They are reminding people to slow down and stop when a patrol asks them to."

Anyone who would like more details about the school crossing patrol service in York should contact email fiona.kent@york.gov.uk or phone 01904 554233.

Anyone interested in North Yorkshire should phone Andy Scaife on 07736 149524.