'Longest-serving' lollipop lady remembered by town

An 82-year old woman thought to be a county's longest-serving lollipop lady has been remembered in her home town.

Carole Hayes helped children in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, cross the road for more than 40 years, before retiring in 2022.

People lined the streets to pay their respects during Mrs Hayes' funeral procession on Wednesday.

She was described by local people as a "friendly, lively person".

Mrs Hayes was based on Longsands Road, where there is a junior school and an academy nearby.

When she retired, representatives from the county council, Priory Junior School, Longsands Academy and parents presented her with gifts during a special assembly.

Mrs Hayes was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2023 for her voluntary and charitable work.

Malcolm and Thelma Goodger live near the road where Mrs Hayes worked and said they knew her well.

"She enjoyed the children, they enjoyed her," said Mr Goodger.

"She's very friendly towards them, they thanked her, they gave her presents at Christmas."

He said she often dressed up to raise money for charities.

"Give her a theme she'll dress up for it."

He added that being a lollipop lady was "not a task a lot of people take on - you've got to be quite brave sometimes to step out in front of the traffic as they come by here in the mornings".

Mrs Goodger worked with Mrs Hayes for nearly 25 years and said she was a "good sport".

"She still done her work, but she done as much as she could for fundraising [too] and loved it, absolutely loved it.

"She just didn't want to give up but ill health got in the way."

A family tribute described Mrs Hayes, who was born in 1942, as a "much-loved mother, sister and grandmother". Her funeral was held at Huntingdon Crematorium.

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