AN urgent appeal was this week issued to residents in the Tavistock area, in an effort to protect pedestrian safety on one of the town's busiest junctions. Popular lollipop man Stuart Tremaine, who has manned the Callington Road crossing outside Ford Street Post Office for the last eight years, retired this week. But so far, no-one has stepped forward to replace him. Joe Flynn, headteacher of Tavistock Primary School, said he was 'extremely worried' about the situation. Mr Flynn said: 'I think it's probably one of the busiest spots in the town, with primary school and college students crossing and pedestrians going to the Spar and post office — it's an incredibly busy junction. 'It's a serious job and the children are going to struggle without Stuart.' Andrew Eagles, Devon County Council's school crossings officer, said: 'Children are going to be put at risk unless we can find someone, and that goes for all age groups. And there's an added problem because even if we find someone straight away, we have to do a Criminal Records Bureau check on them and that takes about a month to come back, so at this rate we are looking towards half term before we get anyone.' Mr Eagles said ideally, the county would like two people to come forward — one for the position and a reserve crossing patrol person. 'Stuart has been fantastic, he's been part of the street scene there but we urgently need to find someone new,' he said. Anyone who has around ten and three quarter hours a week to spare, at the morning and end of the school day, is asked to call Andrew Eagles on 01392 382247.
