Children and parents at King Charles School in Falmouth are rallying around a lollipop lady who has been told that her role will soon be discontinued due to Cornwall Council's latest cuts.

Sue Johns, who runs the crossing on Albany Road, was recently told that her job was being axed due as there was not enough traffic to justify paying her at a time when the council is slashing budgets.

She said she was "gutted" when she found out: "I was so sad, really, really sad.

"I love my job, I love the kids and being part of the school.

"I'm really worried for what will be if there's nobody here. We need them to make the crossing safe by whatever means."

Sue has been a lollipop lady at the site for 11 years, and said she had noticed a definite increase in traffic in her time there, as the former Falmouth College of Arts became Falmouth University and more students began using the Woodlane campus. In term time she can see four university buses come past during the time she is on duty.

On Friday Sue and a group from the school met Candy Atherton, who represents Smithick ward on Cornwall Council and Falmouth Town Council, to ask if she would help them and to hand her a 15 page petition.

Ms Atherton told those gathered that when she had been told the council would withdraw funding, her "heart sank" at yet more "desperate cutting" from Cornwall Council.

The decision to remove the school's one remaining lollipop lady follows a council traffic survey, and Ms Atherton said she had asked council officers to give her a copy of the papers.

She said: "Apparently they came along and looked at the traffic and decided we have less than we used to. That's news to me.

"I'm going to try and investigate their stats, find out what time of day they did the survey, whether it was in the holidays."

She also said Cornwall Council had suggested the school pick up the costs of the crossing patrol if they want to keep it, and offered to cover a third of the cost from her community grant if it could be match funded by the school, and perhaps the council could contribute some of the cash.

Sue said if she goes the council needs to add extra safety measures or it is likely that a child will get hurt.

She suggested barriers at the end of the lane that leads along the side of the school to the side and main entrances, and a zebra crossing.

She said: Children come down the lane and they don't see the road.

"I have had to pull a few back by their collar because their minds are still in school, they are still playing. It doesn't look like a road [to them]."