During the last school year, a total of 81 drivers were reported to Cambridgeshire police for ignoring requests to stop by school crossing patrollers.

But it is thought this is just the tip of the iceberg, with six motorists for every one reported to police getting away.

And the city's small band of school crossing patrollers have also revealed a horrifying spate of intimidation by impatient motorists.
The worrying details have been released by Peterborough City Council, which has launched a high profile "Stop means Stop" campaign to cut the number of drivers breaking the law by refusing to stop for school crossing patrollers.

At its worst, some motorists have accelerated their cars, swerving at the last moment to avoid the patroller in the road.

Others have threatened the patroller with
physical violence, while some have met requests to stop with a volley of obscene and threatening language.

A number of drivers have tried to intimidate the patroller and children by edging their vehicles towards those crossing the road while also loudly revving their engines.

In all cases the vehicle registration numbers of all those motorists were passed to police who sent out warning letters to the culprits.
Failure to stop for a school crossing patrol could result in a court conviction with a £1,000 fine and three penalty points.

The council's school crossing patrol officer, Julia Potkins, said: "This is not acceptable behaviour.

"The patrollers are giving up their free time to help school children and adults to cross the road in safety .

She added: "The job of crossing children safely over busy roads at peaks times already has its risks.

"These drivers are putting the lives not only of the patrollers at risk but also pedestrians, children as well as adults."
"It is quite shocking."

The new campaign, run jointly by the city council and the Eastern Region Road Safety Group, will involve placing large adverts on the back of buses, radio messages, display boards near schools as well as stickers and leaflets that will be available at schools, doctors and dentists across the city.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire police said: "We have issued warning letters to the 81 motorists involved.

"The school crossing patrollers are there for a reason – to help children and adults cross the road safely to school. Motorists who refuse to stop are putting the lives of others at risk.
"Where there are persistent problems of requests to stop being ignored by drivers, police officers can carry out the patroller's duties."