A TRIAL in which lollipop staff in Clacton wore body cameras in a bid to tackle abusive drivers has been extended to other towns in the county.

Crossing patrol officers in Cloes Lane, Clacton, along with those in Whitmore Way, Basildon, wore the devices to monitor drivers’ behaviour near crossings.

The month-long trial in Clacton finished last week and a new four-week trial will take place at additional sites in Rayleigh and Harlow from Monday.

Tony Ball, Essex County Council's cabinet member for education, said the Clacton trial - the first of its kind in Essex - is now complete and data is being evaluated.

He added: “We know most drivers are respectful and courteous around school crossings in Essex.

"However, there is a small minority who are impatient and sometimes even abusive toward the crossing patrols.

“We won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour towards our much-loved school crossing patrol officers, who work tirelessly to keep children across Essex safe.

“We want to make sure we have as much information available to us as possible before evaluating the trial, which is why we’re rolling this out to other parts of Essex.

"Once this second trial period is complete, we’ll be able to make an informed decision on whether the use of body cameras is necessary at school crossing patrol sites going forward.”

The law requires drivers to stop when a patrol officer holds a stop sign upright.

The penalties for not stopping include a fine of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on your driving licence.

A patrol officer can stop traffic for any pedestrians and not just for school children or those accompanying a school child.

More information on the rules around school crossing patrols can found at essex.gov.uk/school-crossing-patrols.