A LOLLIPOP lady "legend" who has been helping three generations of children across the road over 34 years has retired.

Freda Batten had a tea party thrown in her honour with around 300 children and adults and where more than 400 fairy cakes were eaten.

The 63-year-old has been patrolling the crossing outside Mortimer St Johns's Church of England Infant School since 1981.

Sarah Turvey, who helped organise the event, along with Rachel Barlow, Mel Bennett and Mick & Sue Johnson said it was like the “end of an era” and it was like “a legend disappearing.”

Mrs Batten said of the party: “It was lovely. They must have worked really hard to throw the party. It was very emotional to see everyone there. With some families I've crossed as many as three generations of people, you get to know everyone and I shall miss the stories the children tell me the most.”

Mrs Batten said she has helped people cross the The Street has been joined by her 70-year-old husband Bill for the last four years of her career.

She said he helped people cross the road by helping children with their bicycles and scooters as well as holding onto families dogs as the parents collected their children from the school.

Mrs Batten thought she would give the job "a go for a few weeks" but enjoyed it and stayed despite standing at the side of the road in all types weather including high winds that has blown her hat off.

She said: "But I couldn't face another winter, you get so wet being outside all the time, and there is so much more traffic in the area after recent housing developments that the job has become that much more difficult. All the modern developments have led to a lot more traffic than when I started.”

Sarah Turvey, whose fourth child has just finished at Mortimer St John's said: “You never forget your lollipop lady and Freda was always generous with her time for the children, listening to them. She always gave advice and was almost like a grape vine in that she knew so much about the area and the people in it. She gave the place a real community atmosphere.”

The tea party for Freda was a duel celebration, with her husband Bill Batten celebrating his seventieth birthday at the same time.

She was recognised for her achievement earlier this year by West Berkshire Council with an Outstanding Contribution of the Year award 2015 for her lollipop services. She described winning the award as “very emotional”, not knowing until the announcement that she had won.

It is not know whether another crossing assistant will be employed to get children safely across or whether a zebra crossing is to be installed.