Lollipop men and women are being armed with video cameras to counter road-rage attacks.
The cameras, which are located in the carrier's lollipop or hat, record drivers who refuse to stop or who are abusive, providing crucial evidence in prosecutions.
A total of 1400 lollipop wardens were verbally abused or assaulted last year, with many needing hospital treatment.
With pay of just £6 an hour and only two hours' work a day, local authorities struggle to find enough wardens, and a third of posts are unfilled in some areas.
A warden holding a lollipop has the same legal power as a red light. Drivers who refuse to stop face a £1000 fine or three points on their licence.
The School Crossing Patrol Service was introduced officially in the 1950s. By 2005 a quarter of the country's 37,000 positions were vacant.
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