U-turn on school patrols

South Lanarkshire Council says it will review the decision to scrap 22 patrols across the authority area.

The council had said the move was needed to save money and would take effect after the Easter holidays.

Parents of children who cross Fallside Road in Bothwell to get to St Bride’s Primary School had attended a meeting at which they voiced their anger. They claimed the road is too busy to axe the crossing.

Also on the hit list was the patrol in Lower Millgate, Uddingston, at North British Road for pupils of St John the Baptist Primary and Muiredge Primary.

Bothwell and Uddingston SNP councillor Jim McGuigan, who had met residents and roads officials, welcomed the u-turn, and hinted the plan will be scrapped entirely if the SNP takes control of the council from Labour in May.

He said: “I fully expect that we will have an SNP administration in place after the council elections and that we will be taking into account local views and local needs when these kinds of decisions are placed before us.”