A TV personality swapped the teleprompter for a set of traffic lights to try and raise awareness of the disappearing unsung heroes of the school run.

Romford Recorder: TV star Jeff Brazier became a lollipopper for the day at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Hornchurch.TV star Jeff Brazier became a lollipopper for the day at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Hornchurch. (Image: © Chris Winter 07970108312 chris@chriswinter.co.uk)

Well known for his work on ITV’s This Morning, TV presenter Jeff Brazier returned to his old school, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, to spend a day finding out what life is like as a lollipop man.

He soon learned the ropes from St Mary’s’ veteran lollipop lady Irene, and it wasn’t long before he was lapping up the attention.

He said: ““Although I am slightly exhausted, this morning was incredibly enjoyable! It was extremely rewarding knowing that I was doing something so valuable for the community.”

A recent survey by Churchill Insurance revealed that 91pc of parents felt road safety at their local school had worsened in the past five years with an additional 32pc noting a Lollipopper had recently been removed from the local area with no suitable replacement.

Father-of-two Jeff was shocked when he learned of these statistics.

He said: “Being a dad to my two boys, I know how important it is to know that your children are safe during the school run.

“Working at my old school with Irene has given me a real insight into the amazing work Lollipoppers do and it makes it all the more shocking they are being taken off the roads.

“I’d urge anyone who has considered being a Lollipopper to put themselves forward in their local community – they really do make a difference.”