IT is perhaps a sign of the times that Swindon is experiencing a shortage of lollipop men and women.

In a society where less emphasis is put on the community, schools are finding it more and more difficult to recruit. There are currently 10 unfilled positions in Swindon out of a full complement of 24.

Those men and women who are patrolling streets outside schools do so as a sense of duty certainly at just under £5 an hour the rewards are negligible. Many are retired or are parents who have time on their hands and are willing to spare a little time each day to help out. The problem is that there are less people around nowadays who are in the situation where they can volunteer.

Furthermore, in a world where more emphasis is placed on the material, less people feel obliged to carry out a good deed generally.

Today the Evening Advertiser highlights the problem and supports Swindon Council's drive to recruit.

And we urge people who might have time on their hands to consider putting their name forward. It might be the best decision you have ever made.

After all, your commitment could literally be the difference between the life and death of a child attempting to negotiate one of Swindon's most dangerous roads.