Whitwick: Freedom honour for lollipop lady after 50 years' service

Ms Flamson - known as Fred - was described as an integral part of the village

A lollipop lady who has supervised school crossings for 50 years has been given the freedom of her village.

Sandy Flamson - who is known as Fred the Lollipop - from Whitwick, Leicestershire, was given the honorary title by the parish council.

She said: "I thought it was all a joke. I didn't know that you had awards for doing a job that you love."

Sue Colledge, the chair of Whitwick Parish Council: "Fred's a lynchpin. She's been here forever."

Sue Colledge (left) said it was important Ms Flamson knew how valued she was

Ms Flamson said: "I felt stunned, flabbergasted because I'm doing a job that I love and I didn't know you had awards for that."

She said she loved the work because she enjoyed her interactions with the children.

"You never know what the children are going to say or what they're going to tell you," she said.

"But it does make you feel a bit old when a little lad comes up to you and says 'You crossed my grandma'."

The parish council said the title was an honorary one to thank Ms Flamson

Lee Swales, the deputy head at Whitwick St John the Baptist Primary School, whose pupils Ms Flamson helps to cross the road, said: "Fred means everything to the school.

"She has an influence on every child that walks past her every day.

"She's truly an integral part of the village."

Ms Colledge added Ms Flamson was only the third freeman of the village.

"It is purely an honorary title," she said.

"She can't even herd sheep over a bridge but it just marks, for us, a bit of a thank-you.

"For us, it was very important that she knew the village as a whole values her and appreciates everything she's done.

"She crossed me over when I was going to school - my brother, my sister, my daughter, people's grandchildren and she's still doing the same thing now.

"That kind of devotion to public service is second to none."