Lynne Featherstone MP and Mr Croc joined forces at Rokesly Junior School in Hornsey to encourage local children to walk to school.

The local Liberal Democrat MP gave the scheme her full backing because of the huge benefits walking to school has in keeping children healthy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reinforcing the road safety message.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“The kids here at Rokesly have been walking to school all week, and they have told me how much fun it’s been. It’s great to come and talk to the kids about road safety, with a little help from my friend Mr Croc.

“Learning road safety is one thing, but putting into practise is another. Encouraging groups to walk to school is a safe way of making exercise a part of everyday routine. A lifetime of healthy living starts literally with the first step.”

As part of ‘Walk to School Week’ local Liberal Democrat councillors joined pupils of St. Mary’s Junior School in support of their campaign for a safe walk to school.

In September last year Haringey Council confirmed that the dangerous and busy crossing of the High Street outside the school needed a crossing patrol officer to ensure the safety of children. Since then, despite several incidents involving children crossing the street there has been no progress in appointing a crossing patrol officer.

Liberal Democrats are encouraging local residents to apply for this important role and have also urged Haringey Council to do more to fill vacant positions.

Information revealed by the Liberal Democrats shows that this is not an isolated case. Of the 35 school crossing patrol sites in Haringey less than half are staffed.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Hornsey councillor and Liberal Democrat leader, comments:

“Eight months have passed since Haringey Council confirmed the crossing needed a crossing patrol officer. In that time there have been continued to be incidents involving children crossing the street. The safety of children on the road is an obvious worry for parents. For Haringey Council to simply hang a banner in front of the school asking for applicants is just not good enough.

“I would ask local residents to consider applying for this vital community role and request that the Council do more to identify and support applicants.”

Cllr Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Children, Schools and Families Spokesperson added:

“A lack of crossing patrol officers is a borough-wide problem. With less than half of the identified crossings staffed, the Council is clearly not doing enough and potentially putting our children’s safety at risk.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats are this weekend celebrating a decade of election successes in the borough. On 7th May 1998, Liberal Democrat campaigners June Andersen, Lynne Featherstone and Julia Glenn took three council seats to become the official opposition on the council, altering the course of Haringey politics.

On their way, Haringey Liberal Democrats have worked with local residents to secure some major successes, including the introduction of the 603 bus route, action on school places and the re-opening Muswell Hill Police station front counter.

Over the years, the Lib Dems have gone from strength to strength. Control of the borough is now on a knife-edge, as the party has 26 councillors, and is challenging Labour for office.

Former councillor Julia Glenn, one of the first Muswell Hill councillors, says:

“We really were frontier pioneers and a shock to the Labour strangle-hold on the borough.Haringey was one of the worst performing councils in the country, and the opposition Tories were on the way out. Labour simply weren’t used to any form of democratic scrutiny or anyone challenging the poor performance of the council they ran.

“When I look at our local MP Lynne Featherstone, our 26 councillors and what they have achieved, I am so proud to have been part of the team that lit the fuse, and ended Haringey’s one party state.It has really put the Labour council under pressure. Forty years is far too long to run a council and if they don’t shape up, they’ll be out. That’s how it should be.”

Lynne Featherstone, first elected a councillor in 1998 and now Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“I learned a huge amount as a Haringey councillor.Standing up in the Haringey council chamber to 54 aggressive and heckling Labour councillors made speaking in the House of Commons seem like a breeze. But the reasons we stood then are just as relevant now.We still face a Labour council incapable of listening to the residents of Haringey.The cherry of the top of the cake will be taking the Council in 2010.”

Labour-run Haringey Council has run into another security scandal after it emerged that highly confidential files were left abandoned in an insecure location for over a year.

The news comes only shortly after it was revealed earlier this year that thousands of housing benefit files has been abandoned and despite promises that after that incident a thorough search had been made of all council property for any other files which needed securing.

Last year, Cllr Lyn Weber requested that the files dumped in a community room in the Colwick Estate were immediately cleared and personal records secured. However, the files were only finally removed a few days ago.

Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) comments:

“I am flabbergasted that no action took place until residents and Liberal Democrats highlighted the issue. Haringey Council seems not to have learnt from their past mistakes.I asked Haringey Council to investigate more than once but still the confidential records were left in the community room.”

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat Leader, adds:

“Local residents and councillors had been given assurances by Labour Haringey that they took seriously breaches in individuals’ confidentiality. Yet for more than twelve months they did nothing about these files. It has taken a direct approach by Liberal Democrats to the Chief Executive for something to be done and for the files to be taken into proper Council control. How can residents believe what Labour tell them?”