A VILLAGE primary school has waved goodbye to a lollipop lady who kept children safe for more than 20 years.

St Patrick's CE School at Endmoor has said its farewells and good wishes to lollipop lady Sheila Eccles, who is retiring after 23 years of loyal service. 

She has had a long connection with the school and, as a former Governor and Chair of Governors, was instrumental in ensuring the building of the new school which opened in 1991. 

READ MORE: School closes doors after experiencing 'operational challenges'

At their special Leaver’s Assembly headteacher Suzanne Edmondson presented Sheila with a rose, a garden centre voucher and a card made by the children. 

Sheila explained she fell into the job by accident when she was in her 40s. Being a lollipop lady was 'a lot different' from when she was a school governor but she still had the connection with the children and the school.

She said: "I like to help wherever I can and it just went from there.

"It really has been lovely. I have enjoyed meeting the children and crossing children of children that my children went to school with. 

"It has been very rewarding and some of the children were crying when I left.

"I am the keeper of village secrets because some of the things they have told me over the years I could not possibly repeat because their parents would probably go mad."

Asked how she feels now that this chapter of her life is over, she said: "It is sad in some ways. It is the end of an era but there comes a point in everyone's lives when you get to a stage where you need to retire and let a younger person take over - that is the stage that I have now got to.

"I think I have inspired some children who when they grow up want to be lollipop ladies."

With retirement, Sheila is planning to enjoy some holidays, spend more time with her family and, when the weather permits, do some gardening.