A £50 'finders fee' is being offered to people if they manage to persuade a friend or relative to sign up to help youngsters and parents safely across the road to school.

The campaign is being launched because many of the council's crossing patrol officers work close to schools where they have children or grandchildren – like patrol supervisor Alan Neave, pictured with his five-year-old granddaughter Katie.

County council leader Cllr Henry Smith is hoping schoolchildren will take up the challenge.

"Hopefully, over the summer holidays, many schoolchildren will also sound out relatives and, if it leads to them taking a job with us, they will get £50 to spend.

"Our lollipop men and women do a superb job, and are highly valued by the communities they serve.

"But with 125 sites we are always going to have vacancies, and as many lollipops are parents or grandparents, we thought youngsters might know someone in the family who would be willing to do the work and earn some extra money."

The perks of the job included a starting rate of £6.57 an hour, term-time working for a maximum of one-and-a-half hours a day plus full pay for five weeks' holiday plus public holidays.

There is no upper age limit – the county council has several patrol people in their 70s – and a uniform and full training is provided.

More details about the job, how to apply, and current vacancies are on the county council's website or people can telephone 01243 777929 to receive more details.