Robert Boyce still joined the school run this week even though he’s no longer allowed to help children cross
Beloved Croydon lollipop man still greets children after patrol cuts, but doesn’t want to give his uniform back
For over 20 years Robert Boyce helped children in Croydon cross the road on their way to and from school – until he was made redundant this summer.
Part of cost-cutting measures at cash-strapped Croydon Council, the loss of Robert’s job has left the 83-year-old without the simple joy that got him out of bed in the morning. Still choosing to go out to say hello to the children this week as they started school again, Robert is in a battle with the council over being allowed to keep the uniform he wore for over two decades.
“I’d like to hold on to it for the memories,” he said. “I can’t imagine what they would do with it now I’ve finished.”
As pupils from four different schools made their way across the busy junction of Sylvan Hill and Auckland Road near Crystal Palace this week, Robert’s vibrant high-vis was notably absent but the lifelong Croydon resident was still there waving and smiling.
With the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) present on Friday morning (September 5), many families stopped to say “Hello Robert” and “We miss you” as they passed.
With no plans to still wear his uniform, Robert is asking the council to withdraw its request for him to return it, so he can keep it for sentimental reasons.
Labour mayoral candidate Councillor Rowenna Davis has written to Mayor Jason Perry, requesting that Robert and the five other guards be allowed to keep their uniforms.
She told the LDRS: “Robert is absolutely treasured by local children, parents and teachers. He’s kept children safe for over 20 years, and this Mayor fired him to save peanuts off his broken budget. The fact he is demanding Robert’s uniform back rubs salt in the wound.”
Croydon Council, in response, has said it “values the work Robert and the other crossing patrol officers have done on behalf of the council”, and that it “retains uniforms and other council equipment when staff leave their employment for safeguarding reasons”.
‘You make it your own’
Before becoming a lollipop man, Robert worked as an electrical technician. He said he took the patrol job 23 years ago because it meant working with children, something he had always wanted to do.
“There’s not much to the job, but you make it your own,” he said. The local authority had previously awarded him a certificate marking his 20 years of public service.
He explained that the most important part of the role was building friendships with parents and children who passed him each day, while ensuring pupils could cross safely at the busy junction.
The junction between Sylvan Hill and Auckland Road is particularly busy during school pick-up and drop-off times. While there is a zebra crossing at the bottom of Auckland Road, Robert’s departure means the junction now lacks any traffic-calming measures.
Robert told the LDRS: “People have tunnel vision when they drive up here and there have been a few near misses. As long as people see a clear space, on the go, they speed off.”
Parent Lucy Scott, who was crossing the junction when the LDRS visited, agreed the spot could be hazardous. She said: “People have mad road rage driving up here.”
Fellow parent Hannah Thompson, who was taking her five and seven-year-old children to nearby Cypress Primary School, also told Robert how much they missed seeing him in his distinct red and yellow jacket every day.
The LDRS spoke to Hannah in July, when pupils from a nearby school formed a ring around Robert in the middle of the junction in protest against the council’s decision. “The protest was beautiful, calm and joyful,” she said.
“Hopefully, we brought to light the short-sightedness of cuts like these, and what a great way for elderly people to remain engaged in local society.”
When asked how he felt about seeing the huge response to the protest to protect him, Robert said: “I didn’t realise how much they wanted me here.”
Croydon Council went ahead with the cuts despite local opposition, ending the roles of Robert and lollipop patrols at Norbury Manor Primary, Orchard Way Primary and Monks Orchard Infants and Juniors in Shirley, Oasis Academy Ryelands in Woodside, and Greenvale Primary in Selsdon.
A Croydon Council spokesperson said: “We value the work that Robert and the other crossing patrol officers have done on behalf of the council, some for many years.
“Along with many other public and private sector organisations, we retain uniforms and other council equipment when staff leave their employment for safeguarding reasons. We can donate the uniform to the local school where Robert worked and would be happy to do this.
“The decision to close our six remaining non-statutory School Crossing Patrols was taken in 2022 following a service review. It was discussed at the council’s Scrutiny and Overview Committee in December 2022, before being confirmed as part of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy agreed by Cabinet in October 2024. Most patrols had already been phased out many years ago.
“Croydon’s Healthy School Streets programme has improved safety for around 40 schools in the borough. Our Road Safety Team continues to work with schools on road safety initiatives, such as Junior Roadwatch and Healthy School Streets, by reducing the number of vehicles during drop-off and pick-up times.”
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