A safety call for a 20mph speed restriction on the main road into Dartmouth has gone out following fears for the safety of children – and the new 'Mary Poppins' lollipop lady whose job it is to protect them.

And it is 'local' drivers who have been accused of causing the danger.

New lollipop lady Josephine Broom took over the job of seeing youngsters across the notorious Townstal Road Zebra Crossing to and from the Dartmouth Academy last September.

Within weeks the police had been asked to carry out traffic operations in the area after it was revealed there had been a number of near misses on the crossing.

Now Townstal ward town councillor Steve Smith has called for a 20mph speed limit along that section of road as concerns over road safety at the crossing continue.

However, Dartmouth county councillor Jonathan Hawkins has suggested that a 'sleeping policeman' could be used to slow down cars instead. And he told town councillors: 'It is the local people who are breaking the speed limits in these areas.'

Cllr Smith said there were continuing concerns about 'the standard of driving with people approaching the crossing'.

And he added:' It's not the children who need protections it's the lollipop lady too.'

Cllr Smith, who nicknamed Mrs Broom 'Mary Poppins' because of her caring attitude asked the county council to consider imposing a 20mph speed limit on the road to try to slow drivers down.

And he called on the police to carry out more morning and afternoon speed checks on the road.

Cllr Hawkins said he did not think that a 20mph limit was 'realistic'. But he added; 'Sleeping policemen could be used. They do stop drivers doing a fast speed.'

The crossing was without a lollipop lady for some months after the previous school crossing patrol officer retired.

The academy and the Townstal Community Partnership then joined forces to advertise for a new crossing officer and Mrs Broom stepped forward.